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| Fig. 19 |
The subject is placed in a supine position, possibly with a pillow
under the kidneys to arch the back upward. The transducer is positioned
just to the right of the xiphisternum, with its axis pointing toward
the left shoulder and the index mark oriented toward the left hip
(Fig. 19).
It is then pressed down so that the ultrasound beam scans underneath
the rib cage in the four-chamber plane. Rotation counterclockwise
through 90 degrees, to bring the index mark upward, changes the
scan plane to the short axis. Subcostal views are often improved
by the subject inhaling; this lowers the diaphragm and pulls the
heart down toward the transducer.
2004