LV Segments and Chamber Quantification

Assessment of regional wall motion abnormality is a critically important skill in the echocardiographic armamentarium for all those performing and interpreting echocardiographic tests in the critical care setting. Recognition of coronary artery and non-coronary artery related regional wall motion abnormality can provide immediate clues as to the etiology of the cardiac dysfunction. This is a challenging area even for experienced users, requiring sufficient images for interpretation and a trained eye for detection. Pattern recognition is key so that is why a bank of classical cases as provided in this chapter can prove useful to the sonographer and clinician. Echocardiography remains the first line non-invasive imaging modality in assessing left ventricular segments and chamber quantification. This chapter focuses on the echocardiographic evaluation of the left ventricle at a segmental level, chamber measurements and complications of myocardial infarction.