Seems like it is a natural fit Echocardiography also plays a vital role in the realm of clinical veterinary medicine. The American Veterinary Medical Association recognizes cardiology as a distinct specialty. The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) has published training guidelines that include standards for echocardiography training
within the cardiac specialty training program.
Animals are affected by many of the same cardiovascular pathologies as the human population. Acquired valvular disease, hypertension, cardiomyopathies, effusions, masses, congenital shunts, and stenotic lesions are commonly found in our pets. Just as with people, echocardiography is a vital tool in the diagnosis and management of these disease processes. Although imaging windows in animals may differ
from those used in human echocardiography, the physics and principles of ultrasound hold true across species. Just as there are guidelines, standards, and normal values in the human laboratory, there are also published standards for various animal species available.
The cardiac sonographer's counterpart in veterinary cardiology is the veterinary technician specialist cardiology, or VTS (Cardio). The Academy of Internal Medicine for Veterinary Technicians works alongside the ACVIM to promote interest in and advance the skills of veterinary technicians within the disciplines of veterinary internal medicine. The path to becoming a VTS (Cardio) requires formal training and experience as a veterinary technician and demonstration of competence and knowledge through skills check-offs, case studies, and a written examination. The skills and knowledge required to become a VTS (Cardio) include
- •
knowledge of standard M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiography views;
- •
understanding of the principles of M-mode, two-dimensional, pulsed-wave, continuous-wave, and color flow Doppler;
- •
ability to identify many common and acquired cardiac disorders, including dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, pericardial effusions, cardiovascular disease, patent ductus arteriosus, ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, pulmonic stenosis, subaortic stenosis, and tetralogy of Fallot from echocardiography;
- •
ability to obtain standard M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiographic views;
- •
ability to obtain a 10-lead electrocardiogram; and
- •
ability to recognize common arrhythmias, including atrial premature complexes, supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular premature complexes, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, sinus arrhythmia, wandering pacemaker, sinus arrest, and various forms of atrioventricular block.
As sonographers, we can be extremely focused on our specific profession. However, it is important to be aware of our counterparts in the animal world. The similarities in what we do, what we need to know, and how we do it are unmistakable. Like cardiac sonographers, VTS (Cardio) are passionate professionals. They recognize that the animals in their care are special to someone, just as we are vitally aware that what we do affects the lives of someone special also. We look forward to the opportunity to have our worlds intermingle. The American Society of Echocardiography has established a new task force working with members of ACVIM to identify ways to work together. This task force is chaired by Phillipe Pibarot, DVM, PhD, FASE, and includes veterinarians, cardiologists, sonographers, and VTS (cardio). They are starting to look at areas in which tips and tricks can be shared and how we might each learn a little something from the other.
Until then, it is good to know that echocardiography plays an important role in veterinary medicine and that VTS (Cardio) is a strong profession that shares many things with us. For more information on the role of echocardiography in veterinary medicine or the VTS (Cardio) specialty, visit
https://www.acvim.org or
https://www.aimvt.com.