echo
Medical abbreviation · Cardiology
| Stands for | Echocardiogram |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
echo stands for Echocardiogram, a cardiology abbreviation.
Ultrasound examination of the heart that shows chamber size, wall motion, valve function, pumping strength (ejection fraction) and fluid around the heart, without radiation. Most are done through the chest wall; other forms include transesophageal, stress and fetal echocardiography.
Example: Echo tomorrow morning to reassess LV function before discharge.
Usage notes
A clipped word rather than initials, usually written lowercase in running text. Doppler techniques measure blood flow velocity and pressure gradients across valves, and agitated saline (a "bubble study") detects shunts such as a patent foramen ovale. The American Society of Echocardiography sets the measurement standards used in reports; sonographers perform the scan and cardiologists interpret it.
Related abbreviations
More cardiology abbreviations
- DCCV – Direct current cardioversion
- DCM – Dilated cardiomyopathy
- DES – Drug-eluting stent
- DSE – Dobutamine stress echocardiogram
- DVT – Deep vein thrombosis
- ECG – Electrocardiogram
- ECMO – Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
- EF – Ejection fraction
- EKG – Electrocardiogram
- EP – Electrophysiology
- EPS – Electrophysiology study
- ESC – European Society of Cardiology
See all 229 cardiology abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.