The diagnostic attributes of echocardiography in the patient with chest pain or pulmonary edema.

In the critically ill or clinically unstable patient, echocardiography is particularly useful in that it provides a safe, painless, and yet reliable bedside method for evaluating the anatomy and physiology of the heart. In addition to diagnostic information, serial echocardiograms may be obtained as often as clinically indicated to monitor and detect hemodynamic changes which may be of prognostic value to the clinician. The ultimate role of echocardiography in coronary artery disease is not yet known, and many of the observations and uses we have discussed are still being investigated and substantiated. For the individual patient with coronary artery disease, it is too early to know whether the information available from the echocardiogram will influence the course or outcome of the disease.