Edelman CCI Exam Review – Comprehensive Practice Questions and
Correct Answers for Cardiac Sonography (Echocardiography
Certification Study Guide)
When transporting a patient with a urinary catheter the bag should always be: - correct answer
Below the patients bladder
A 52 year old woman develops a murmur after a myocardial infarction. What is the most likely
etiology? - correct answer Ventricular Septal Defect
How do you position a patient for using a PEDOF probe along the right sternal border? - correct
answer Right lateral decubitus
A patient with down syndrome (trisomy 21) is referred to your lab for an echo. Which of the
following cardiac defects would you likely find? - correct answer Atrioventricular canal defect
Which of the following choices would NOT be used to correct for pulsed wave doppler aliasing?
A) Shift the baseline
B) Use continuous wave
C) Use a higher frequency probe
D) Decrease sample volume depth - correct answer Use a higher frequency probe
During pharmacological echo stress test using Dobutamine which drug is given if the patient
doesn't reach target heart rate?
a. Inderal
b. Atropine
c. Captopril
D. Verpamil - correct answer Atropine
How do you position a patient for a TEE exam? - correct answer Left lateral decubitus
A patient with AIDS might present with what type of cardiomyopathy?
A) Dilated
B) Restrictive
C) Infiltrative
D) Hypertrophic - correct answer Dilated
In a patient with COPD which frequency transducer would most likely result in the best images?
,A) 2.25 MHz
B) 2.5 MHz
C) 3.0 MHz
D) 4.0 MHz - correct answer 2.25 MHz
If you measure the LVOT too big, how will this affect your measurement for aortic area? -
correct answer Area is too large
A 3 year old patient comes to the lab with a systolic murmur. What is the most likely etiology?
A) Atrial septal defect
B) Ventricular septal defect
C) Patent ductus ateriosus
D) Patent foramen ovale - correct answer Ventricular septal defect
Which is the best stress echo technique for revealing hibernating or stunned myocardium?
A) Bike exercise
B) Treadmill exercise
C) Leg lifts
D) Dobutamine - correct answer Dobutamine
You are in the emergency department and a patient presents with the signs and symptoms of
aortic dissection. Which modality would give you the most rapid diagnosis?
A) CT
B) MRI
C) TEE
D) X-Ray - correct answer TEE
Which is the proper term when the pulmonic valve is removed and put in the place of the aortic
valve in the same patient?
A) Homograft
B) Allograft
C) Autograft
D) Xenograft - correct answer Autograft
,Know that pericarditis (pericardial effusions) can present with positional chest pain - correct
answer
What is the 1st structure seen when imaging from the suprasternal notch? - correct answer
Aortic arch
Which of the following drugs is used in nuclear stress tests?
A) Inderal
B) Thallium
C) Gadolinium
D Atropine - correct answer Thallium
Which of the following is the most important echo to do?
A) CHF
B) Murmur
C) Murmur post MI
D) SOB - correct answer Murmur post MI
Given tricuspid regurgitation with 60 mmHg gradient grade the severity of pulmonary
hypertension:
a. none
b. mild
c. moderate
d. severe - correct answer Severe
What is normal peak pulmonary artery pressure? - correct answer 18-40 mmHg
What is mild peak pulmonary artery pressure? - correct answer 40-54 mmHg
What is moderate peak pulmonary artery pressure? - correct answer 55-64 mmHg
What is severe peak pulmonary artery pressure? - correct answer >65 mmHg
Normal IVC & collapses with "sniff" - correct answer 3 mmHg
Indeterminate-unable to sniff or IVC collapses <20% - correct answer 8 mmHg
Dilated (>2.1 cm) & doesn't collapse 50% - correct answer 15 mmHg
, Your patient has PHTN with a dilated IVC (3 cm) which collapsed 50% with sniff. Estimate the RA
pressure. - correct answer 8 mmHg
What is the most common type of pulmonic stenosis? - correct answer Congenital
What is the most rare type of pulmonic stenosis? - correct answer Rheumatic
What is Noonan Syndrome? - correct answer Classified as a cardiofacial syndrome with
Pulmonic Stenosis, HCM and ASD (30%)
What would M-Mode look like on a patient with pulmonic stenosis? - correct answer May show
an increase in the pulmonic "a" dip of more than 7mm.
Does pulmonic stenosis cause pulmonary hypertension? - correct answer No
In PHTN, what happens to the "a" dip? - correct answer It disappears
What is the normal pulmonary velocity? - correct answer About 1m/sec
If unable to obtain PS gradient from the parasternal window, where else can you go? - correct
answer Subcostal short axis
What is the most common type of mitral stenosis? - correct answer Rheumatic (commissural
fusion)
What does MS murmur sound like? - correct answer Low frequency "diastolic rumble" with an
opening snap.
Patients with mitral stenosis often develop? - correct answer Atrial Fibrillation, which might
cause them to lose 50% of diastolic filling since they are very dependent on atrial contraction.
If a patient has mitral stenosis, how will the mitral valve leaflets appear? - correct answer
Tethered valve leaflet tips with "hockey stick" presentation
Which cardiac valve is the second most common to be affected by rheumatic heart disease? -
correct answer Aortic
What are some characteristics of M-Mode on a mitral stenosis patient? - correct answer 1.
Decreased E-F slope
2. Anterior motion of the posterior leaflet
3. Reduced amplitude of "E" wave
4. Multiple echoes
What is the normal mitral valve area? - correct answer 4-5 cm2
What would the mitral valve area be on a patient with severe mitral stenosis? - correct answer
<1 cm2
Correct Answers for Cardiac Sonography (Echocardiography
Certification Study Guide)
When transporting a patient with a urinary catheter the bag should always be: - correct answer
Below the patients bladder
A 52 year old woman develops a murmur after a myocardial infarction. What is the most likely
etiology? - correct answer Ventricular Septal Defect
How do you position a patient for using a PEDOF probe along the right sternal border? - correct
answer Right lateral decubitus
A patient with down syndrome (trisomy 21) is referred to your lab for an echo. Which of the
following cardiac defects would you likely find? - correct answer Atrioventricular canal defect
Which of the following choices would NOT be used to correct for pulsed wave doppler aliasing?
A) Shift the baseline
B) Use continuous wave
C) Use a higher frequency probe
D) Decrease sample volume depth - correct answer Use a higher frequency probe
During pharmacological echo stress test using Dobutamine which drug is given if the patient
doesn't reach target heart rate?
a. Inderal
b. Atropine
c. Captopril
D. Verpamil - correct answer Atropine
How do you position a patient for a TEE exam? - correct answer Left lateral decubitus
A patient with AIDS might present with what type of cardiomyopathy?
A) Dilated
B) Restrictive
C) Infiltrative
D) Hypertrophic - correct answer Dilated
In a patient with COPD which frequency transducer would most likely result in the best images?
,A) 2.25 MHz
B) 2.5 MHz
C) 3.0 MHz
D) 4.0 MHz - correct answer 2.25 MHz
If you measure the LVOT too big, how will this affect your measurement for aortic area? -
correct answer Area is too large
A 3 year old patient comes to the lab with a systolic murmur. What is the most likely etiology?
A) Atrial septal defect
B) Ventricular septal defect
C) Patent ductus ateriosus
D) Patent foramen ovale - correct answer Ventricular septal defect
Which is the best stress echo technique for revealing hibernating or stunned myocardium?
A) Bike exercise
B) Treadmill exercise
C) Leg lifts
D) Dobutamine - correct answer Dobutamine
You are in the emergency department and a patient presents with the signs and symptoms of
aortic dissection. Which modality would give you the most rapid diagnosis?
A) CT
B) MRI
C) TEE
D) X-Ray - correct answer TEE
Which is the proper term when the pulmonic valve is removed and put in the place of the aortic
valve in the same patient?
A) Homograft
B) Allograft
C) Autograft
D) Xenograft - correct answer Autograft
,Know that pericarditis (pericardial effusions) can present with positional chest pain - correct
answer
What is the 1st structure seen when imaging from the suprasternal notch? - correct answer
Aortic arch
Which of the following drugs is used in nuclear stress tests?
A) Inderal
B) Thallium
C) Gadolinium
D Atropine - correct answer Thallium
Which of the following is the most important echo to do?
A) CHF
B) Murmur
C) Murmur post MI
D) SOB - correct answer Murmur post MI
Given tricuspid regurgitation with 60 mmHg gradient grade the severity of pulmonary
hypertension:
a. none
b. mild
c. moderate
d. severe - correct answer Severe
What is normal peak pulmonary artery pressure? - correct answer 18-40 mmHg
What is mild peak pulmonary artery pressure? - correct answer 40-54 mmHg
What is moderate peak pulmonary artery pressure? - correct answer 55-64 mmHg
What is severe peak pulmonary artery pressure? - correct answer >65 mmHg
Normal IVC & collapses with "sniff" - correct answer 3 mmHg
Indeterminate-unable to sniff or IVC collapses <20% - correct answer 8 mmHg
Dilated (>2.1 cm) & doesn't collapse 50% - correct answer 15 mmHg
, Your patient has PHTN with a dilated IVC (3 cm) which collapsed 50% with sniff. Estimate the RA
pressure. - correct answer 8 mmHg
What is the most common type of pulmonic stenosis? - correct answer Congenital
What is the most rare type of pulmonic stenosis? - correct answer Rheumatic
What is Noonan Syndrome? - correct answer Classified as a cardiofacial syndrome with
Pulmonic Stenosis, HCM and ASD (30%)
What would M-Mode look like on a patient with pulmonic stenosis? - correct answer May show
an increase in the pulmonic "a" dip of more than 7mm.
Does pulmonic stenosis cause pulmonary hypertension? - correct answer No
In PHTN, what happens to the "a" dip? - correct answer It disappears
What is the normal pulmonary velocity? - correct answer About 1m/sec
If unable to obtain PS gradient from the parasternal window, where else can you go? - correct
answer Subcostal short axis
What is the most common type of mitral stenosis? - correct answer Rheumatic (commissural
fusion)
What does MS murmur sound like? - correct answer Low frequency "diastolic rumble" with an
opening snap.
Patients with mitral stenosis often develop? - correct answer Atrial Fibrillation, which might
cause them to lose 50% of diastolic filling since they are very dependent on atrial contraction.
If a patient has mitral stenosis, how will the mitral valve leaflets appear? - correct answer
Tethered valve leaflet tips with "hockey stick" presentation
Which cardiac valve is the second most common to be affected by rheumatic heart disease? -
correct answer Aortic
What are some characteristics of M-Mode on a mitral stenosis patient? - correct answer 1.
Decreased E-F slope
2. Anterior motion of the posterior leaflet
3. Reduced amplitude of "E" wave
4. Multiple echoes
What is the normal mitral valve area? - correct answer 4-5 cm2
What would the mitral valve area be on a patient with severe mitral stenosis? - correct answer
<1 cm2
