[Transthoracic echocardiography--indications for modern color Doppler echocardiography].

Transthoracic echocardiography as a pillar of modern cardiology has become the most important cardiac examination following the assessment of patients history and clinical status. By this it is possible to judge clinical problems of the heart and all forms of heart disease appropriately, reproducibly and noninvasive. With use of two-dimensional echocardiography morphological and functional data of the anatomy of the heart and the great vessels can be obtained, but even a quantitative approach with measurement of left ventricular function is possible. Together with conventional doppler and colour doppler sonography this method is able to replace many diagnostic catheter evaluations, since ventricular function, stenotic lesions, insufficiences, shunt lesions and pulmonary artery pressures can be quantitated. Data from echodopplersonography are of great importance to establish the prognosis and risk of mortality of individual patients. Thus, echocardiography is increasingly used as diagnostic tool. In consequence, there is need for definitions of appropriate yield to warrant echocardiography on the basis of clinical and cost-effectiveness criteria and a quality control of continuing education to guarantee the outstanding value of this method. This article summarizes the recommendations for the use of doppler echocardiography in cardiovascular diseases according to the actual executive summary of the classification system used of the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.