Echocardiography Level 1 Tutorial: TTE Basic Views
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Tutorial: TTE Basic Views
Learn how to obtain the basic views required for a focused cardiac ultrasound examination.
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Tutorial: TTE Basic Views Probe movement
Lessons
42
Times Practiced
1284
Cases Completed
1h 24m
Total Time spent
1m 24s
Average Time
Progress
Accuracy
Efficiency
Accuracy
Efficiency
Current lesson 1 Probe movement Probe movement
2 View: Parasternal Long View: Parasternal Long
3 View: Parasternal Short View: Parasternal Short
4 View: Apical 4 chamber View: Apical 4 chamber
5 View: Subcostal and IVC View: Subcostal and IVC
Probe movement
The ultrasound probe can be moved in 5 different ways. In order to become competent with ultrasound image acquisition, your hand needs to learn how to move the probe in each of these 5 different ways:
  1. Slide the probe up and down (in a head to toe direction)
  2. Slide the probe medially and laterally
  3. Heel-toe tilting (change angle toward and away from probe marker)
  4. Sweeping (change angle 90 degrees axis from probe marker)
  5. Rotation (clockwise or counter-clockwise)

A challenge when learning these movements is applying one movement without also changing the other 4 movements. This skill requires a lot of practice. You will need many hours of scanning to learn this skill.

Another challenge is to connect your hand, brain and eyes to learn how each of these 5 movements changes the image on the screen. This is an additional skill that also takes many hours of scanning to learn. You cannot learn this skill by watching; it can only be learned by having your hand on the probe and actively scanning patients or volunteers.

For each of the basic views in the upcoming lessons, we will show you specifically how to obtain those views and how each of the 5 movements change the image on the screen.