Echocardiogram With Sedation or Anesthesia

An echocardiogram (eh-koh-kar-dee-oh-gram), often called an echo, is an ultrasound of the heart. This test does not hurt. However, most children younger than 3 years of age have a hard time lying still long enough for good pictures to be taken. For this reason, your doctor has ordered a sedated echo. This means that your child will be asleep while the test is done. The test usually lasts about 60 minutes. Plan to spend about 3 to 4 hours in the department.

Before the Test

  • The nurse will call you to ask you questions about your child's health. 
  • The nurse will tell you when to stop giving your child food and liquids, when to get to the hospital, and the time of the sedated echo.
  • Do not let your child have gum, cough drops, or hard candy. If your child has been chewing gum, the sedated echo will be delayed 2 hours from the time the gum is spit out. If the gum has been swallowed, the sedated echo will be delayed up to 8 hours from the time it was swallowed.

** It is very important to follow the instructions about food, drink, and certain medicines before the test. If you don't, your child may not be able to have the sedated echo.

Call the pre-admission testing with questions at (614) 722-3850.

Medicine

Some children may need different medicine to help them sleep during a sedated echo. The doctor will decide if your child should get anesthesia or sedation. The doctors and nurses give anesthesia to children that need special monitoring. Sometimes these children are given medicine to relax before they get an IV. This will help them stay safe.

The anesthesiologist will always decide what medicine is best for your child.

Who may need anesthesia?

  • Patients with unrepaired heart problems.
  • All complex heart patients.

  • All single ventricle patients.

  • Morbidly obese patients (BMI greater than 35).

  • Children less than 3 years old.

  • Patients with autistic or aggressive behavior. This includes children that cannot have an IV placed before sedation.

  • Patients getting a transesophageal echo.

Day of the Test

  • On the day of the appointment, you will come to Crossroads Registration to check in. You will be asked to arrive 90 minutes before your child’s echo.
  • After registering, a technologist or RN will get you and your child from the waiting room and take you to a pre-op room.
  • You will be asked to sign a consent form for the sedation. The nurse will then take your child back to the procedure room for the test. You will be asked to wait in the waiting room.
  • After the test is complete, your child will be given some time to wake up in a post-op room. You will be brought back to this room to see them.

How the Test is Done

  • If your child’s medicine needs to be given through an intravenous line (IV), an IV will be started at this time. The nurse will explain options to help them get an IV.
  • The nurse or doctor will give the medicine and monitor your child as they fall asleep. A nurse will stay to monitor them during the entire test.
  • The cardiac sonographer will do the test. After the test is over, your child will be watched closely until they are awake. This could take about an hour.
  • After your child is awake, they may have some clear liquids. If able to keep liquids down well, your child may have crackers. We will continue to watch them closely until discharge.

After the Test

  • The IV will be removed after the test is done.
  • Once home, your child may eat or drink their usual foods. If old enough to walk, they may still be a little off balance for a while. For this reason, we suggest that you watch them around stairs and hard surfaces.
  • Your child may be a little irritable the afternoon of the test and might need an extra nap that afternoon. The next morning after the test, there should be no aftereffects from the medicine that was used for sedation.
If you already have a clinic appointment scheduled after your child’s procedure, the cardiologist will explain the echo results to you at that time. If you do not have an appointment, you will receive results at a later date.
 

Call the Heart Center at (614) 722-2530if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment.

 

Echocardiogram With Sedation or Anesthesia (PDF), Somali (PDF), Spanish (PDF)

 

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