CME Information: 6.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM.

Expiration Date: January 18, 2022

This educational program provides key information for both novice and experienced users of ultrasound enhancing agents. The program is intended to promote the adoption and appropriate use of contrast in echocardiography. The content of the lectures has been carefully selected by top experts in the field to provide valuable information regarding the contrast agents available, the methods used to detect them, policies and procedures necessary for integration of contrast echocardiography, appropriate indications for contrast using case-based approaches, and advanced uses such as perfusion imaging. The duration of each of the lecture (20-25 min) has been intentionally designed to provide key information in a succinct fashion. This course is applicable to daily clinical echocardiography practice and includes valuable information for sonographers, physicians and administrators.

Ultrasound contrast agents, also known as ultrasound enhancing agents, are composed of acoustically active microbubbles. These agents undergo cavitation in an acoustic field, thereby producing strong ultrasound signals that can be detected by unique contrast-specific imaging algorithms available on most ultrasound systems. Ultrasound contrast agents are used to enhance the blood pool, thereby improving patient care by: (1) improving accuracy for left ventricular (LV) volume and function assessment, (2) improving accuracy for detecting regional wall motion at rest and during stress, (3) increasing the ability to detect and characterize thrombi and other masses, and (4) improving accuracy for conditions that influence LV geometry (pseudoaneurysm, non-compaction cardiomyopathy, apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy).  

Authors: Jonathan R. Lindner, MD, FASE; Sharon L. Mulvagh, MD, FASE, FRCP(C); Thomas R. Porter, MD, FASE; Rajesh Janardhanan, MD, MRCP, FACC, FASE; Howard Leong-Poi, MD, FASE; Margaret M. Park, BS, ACS, RDCS, RVT, FASE, FSDMS; G. Monet Strachan, ACS, RDCS, FASE. 

Release Date: January 18, 2019

CME End Date: January 18, 2022

CME Credit: 6.0

Speaker Disclosure: Jonathan R. Lindner, MD, FASE - Investigator-initiated Grants from GE Healthcare, Lantheus, Pfizer, and Bracco; Sharon L. Mulvagh, MD, FASE, FRCP(C) - GE Healthcare (Research Grants), Lantheus Medical Imaging (Consulting), Bracco Diagnostics (Consulting); Thomas R. Porter, MD, FASE - Bracco Diagnostics (Speakers Bureau), Philips Healthcare (Equipment Support); Howard Leong-Poi, MD, FASE - Lantheus Medical Imaging (Speakers Bureau), Bracco (Clinical Trials); Margaret Park, BS, ACS, RDCS, RVT, FASE - Lantheus Medical Imaging (Speakers Bureau), Lantheus Medical Imaging (Speakers Bureau Advisory Board), Previous faculty and speaker for Northwest Imaging Forums (Sponsored by Bracco); Rajesh Janardhanan, MD, MRCP, FACC, FASE - Lantheus Medial Imaging (Speakers Bureau); G. Monet Strachan, ACS, RDCS, FASE - Lantheus (Speakers Bureau).

Commercial Support: This program was made possible by the funding of an unrestricted educational grant from GE Healthcare, Pharmaceutical Diagnostics.

Activities Included:

• The Contrast Basics: Contrast Agents and the Ultrasound Approaches to Detecting Them
• The Sonographers Checklist for Successful Adoption of Contrast in the Echo Lab
• LVO At Rest – What You Don’t See Can Hurt You
• The Impact of Contrast for Assessment of CAD
• Policies, Practice, and Training for Contrast Echocardiography
• Future of Contrast: Perfusion Imaging, Molecular Imaging, Therapy
• Evaluation

• Contact:
  ASE Learning Hub