Editorial comment on “A practical guideline for performing a comprehensive transthoracic echocardiogram in the congenital heart disease patient” 2022 British Society of Echocardiography

Editorial comment on "A practical guideline for performing a comprehensive transthoracic echocardiogram in the congenital heart disease patient" 2022 British Society of EchocardiographyCongenital heart disease (CHD) represents a broad spectrum of conditions, from simple defects to complex ones (1).Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is the first-line imaging tool in the diagnosis (2).Since congenital echocardiography is a highly operatordependent assessment, guidance is needed for technical image acquisition and interpretative reporting skills.Therefore, there have been previous reports on this issue (3-8).In 2022, British Society of Echocardiography also has published a consensus document on congenital echocardiography -"A practical guideline for performing a comprehensive transthoracic echocardiogram in the congenital heart disease patient" (9).This document is somewhat different from the previous guidelines, since it targets details which the other guidelines have limitations.In this editorial, we would like to give you a brief understanding of this guideline.The guideline covers several key aspects of the TTE examination of CHD patients.Detailing the echocardiographic cardiovascular anatomy in CHD patients in a systematic way is the main topic.During patient preparation, it is strongly recommended to record height, weight (body surface area), heart rate/electrocardiogram, oxygen saturation and blood pressure details in order to maximize sizing, function and hemodynamic quantification.A complete echocardiographic sequential segmental analysis is suggested.To ensure this anatomical and functional sequential segmental CHD TTE study, there are steps to be followed.Systematic evaluation steps are given in details as figures in this paper including echocardiographic images, technical pictures and tables.Subcostal imaging is initially recommended to see the atrial arrangement from the abdominal visceral situs.After the situs positioning, second step is to define the cardiac position and the apex.