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At UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, we believe parents and guardians can contribute to the success of this test, and we invite you to participate. Please read the following information to learn about the test and how you can help.
An echo is a moving picture of your child’s heart in action. An echo uses high frequency sound waves, sometimes called ultrasound, that echo or “bounce” off the heart to create pictures of the beating heart on a television screen and record them. This test is non-invasive, meaning that the test is done on the outside of the body and does not cause pain. Children do sometimes feel uncomfortable when the wand is placed on their chest.
An echo can detect many heart conditions, such as:
An echo may be done in a cardiology doctor’s office, in the hospital, or in one of the ambulatory care centers. You and your child will be taken into a small, darkened room. You may stay with your child during the entire test. Your child may hold a comfort item, and may watch or listen to a favorite video, during the test.
Younger children may become restless during the test. Because movement during the test can give poor pictures and make the test take longer, children who become restless may be given a mild medication to make them relax before or during the test.
The most important thing parents can do is to keep their child calm and still during this test.
When the assistant gets all the needed pictures of the heart, a doctor or a team of doctors will look at the recording of the pictures.
If your child has any special needs or health issues you feel the doctor needs to know about, please call the Heart Institute at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh before the test and ask to speak with a nurse. It is important to notify us in advance about any special needs your child might have.
Locations
Children's Hospital's main campus is located in the Lawrenceville neighborhood. Our main hospital address is:
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh One Children’s Hospital Way 4401 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15224
In addition to the main hospital, Children's has many convenient locations in other neighborhoods throughout the greater Pittsburgh region.
With MyCHP, you can request appointments, review test results, and more.
For questions about a hospital bill call:
To pay your bill online, please visit UPMC's online bill payment system.
Interested in giving to Children's Hospital? Support the hospital by making a donation online, joining our Heroes in Healing monthly donor program, or visiting our site to learn about the other ways you can give back.