The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) has released its first set of guidelines on the use of echocardiography in the evaluation of cardiac sources of embolism. The guidelines appear in the January issue of the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography.
"Strokes and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) caused by an embolism from the heart or the thoracic aorta often have higher rates of morbidity and mortality than other types of ischemic stroke, so echocardiography is extremely important in helping clinicians pinpoint the underlying reason for a stroke, and ultimately guiding treatment and prevention of future strokes," said writing chair Dr. Muhamed Saric, PhD, director of echocardiography and an associate professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City.
The guidelines outline in detail the various cardiac sources of embolism and imaging strategies for each, in harmony with previously published society guidelines. It also includes a dedicated section on cardiac sources of embolism in pediatric populations. The document contains more than 40 figures, nine tables, and 43 videos, which include imaging techniques, strategies for overall evaluation, reporting recommendations, and comparisons of echo modalities.
A live webinar on the guidelines, including a question and answer section, will take place on February 1 at 5 p.m. Eastern time. The full guideline document is available on the journal's website and on the society's guidelines Web page.
