Author(s): Susana Arango, Alexander S. Kuo

Echocardiography is the use of ultrasound (US) to image the heart and associated structures. It allows real-time assessment of the cardiac structure, cardiac function, and hemodynamic parameters. There are two primary modalities of echocardiography, transthoracic (TTE) and transesophageal (TEE). This chapter will focus on the basic principles of TTE and the use of cardiac point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) for clinical monitoring.