LAUSR

T he American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) is a multidisciplinary association dedicated to advancing the safe and effective use of ultrasound in medicine through professional and public education, research, development of clinical practice parameters, and accreditation of practices performing ultrasound examinations. The AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance of Fetal Echocardiography was developed (or revised) by the AIUM in collaboration with other organizations whose members use ultrasound for performing this examination(s) (see “Acknowledgments”). Recommendations for personnel requirements, the request for the examination, documentation, quality assurance, and safety may vary among the organizations and may be addressed by each separately. This Practice Parameter is intended to provide the medical ultrasound community with recommendations for the performance and recording of high-quality ultrasound examinations. The parameter reflects what the AIUM considers the appropriate criteria for this type of ultrasound examination but is not intended to establish a legal standard of care. Examinations performed in this specialty area are expected to follow the parameter with recognition that deviations may occur depending on the clinical situation. Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality from birth defects, with an estimated incidence of 6 per 1000 live births for moderate to severe forms. Accurate prenatal diagnosis offers potential clinical benefits with regard to infant outcomes, especially in those cases that are likely to require prostaglandin infusion to maintain patency of the ductus arteriosus. Fetal echocardiography is broadly defined as a detailed ultrasound evaluation that is used to identify and characterize heart anomalies before delivery. This specialized diagnostic procedure is an extension of fetal cardiac screening parameters that have been previously described for the 4-chamber view and outflow tracts. It should be performed only for a valid medical reason, and the lowest possible ultrasonic exposure settings should be used to gain the necessary diagnostic information. Although it is not possible to detect every abnormality, adherence to this parameter will maximize the probability of detecting and correctly diagnosing most cases of clinically significant CHD. doi:10.1002/jum.15188