Table 1 Key differences between focused cardiac ultrasound (FoCUS) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE)
From: Focused cardiac ultrasound in preoperative assessment: the perioperative provider’s new stethoscope?
Focused cardiac ultrasound (FoCUS) | Transthoracic chocardiography (TTE) |
|---|---|
Qualitative ultrasound assessment of the heart | Quantitative ultrasound assessment of the heart |
Requires practitioners to be familiar with a limited number of transthoracic cardiac views, a limited number of pathologies, and simple imaging modes (B-mode ± colour Doppler) | Requires practitioners to have comprehensive training of all transthoracic cardiac views, ultrasound imaging modes, and ultrasound-relevant cardiac pathologies |
Can be performed using simple equipment | Requires advanced equipment |
Always goal-directed | Can be goal-directed (limited) or comprehensive |
Always performed and interpreted at the point-of-care | Usually performed at the bedside and interpreted separately |