Hand carried echocardiography in the coronary care unit

Miniaturized echocardiography devices known as hand carried echocardiography (HCE) now exist with features similar to those used for standard echocardiography. The small size and low cost of these devices may lead to increased availability of echocardiography to be performed by all physicians taking care of critically ill patients. The objective of the investigation was to assess the value of limited HCE in the coronary care unit (CCU). Material and methods: 88 patients were studied –54 men (61.4%) and 34 women (38.6%), mean age 64.75±1.31 years with acute coronary syndrome treated in the CCU. After admission pa…