Echocardiography and the neonatologist

Neonatal echocardiographic assessment is a component of neonatal point of care ultrasound and can be broadly divided into structural and functional cardiac assessment. Functional echocardiography in the hands of an appropriately trained neonatologist is an accessible and useful modality in the neonatal intensive care unit. This tool allows the neonatologist to assess haemodynamic parameters including ventricular outputs and superior vena cava (SVC) flow, ventricular function, pulmonary arterial pressures, arterial ducts and implement immediate management as result. It is essential that there is support from the paediatric cardiologist to prevent misdiagnosis of congenital heart disease and implement further management.