Table 7. Priority regarding eligibility for echocardiography testing.

Urgency and emergency healthcare environment

Recent clinically relevant cardiovascular symptoms (FC III or IV heart failure, syncope of cardiac origin, chest pain, arrhythmias)

Recent procedure requiring urgent follow-up

Arrhythmias after device implantation

Pericardial effusion

Post-operative assessment in cardiac surgery

Initial assessment before beginning oncological drug treatment (chemotherapy/immunotherapy)

Suspected infective endocarditis with high pre-test probability

Semi-elective healthcare environment

Asymptomatic patient with chronic cardiac disease that requires monitoring

Assessment of stable heart valve disease (aortic and mitral stenosis or regurgitation)

Pulmonary hypertension

Disease progression after intervention (recurrent coarctation, duct stenosis)

Non-cardiological therapy requiring continuous monitoring

Pulmonary artery systolic pressure estimation in patients on specific therapy

Assessment of rejection after heart transplant

Treatment for Kawasaki disease

Follow-up assessment of the VAD function in stable patients

Non-urgent pre-operative echocardiography

Elective healthcare environment

Routine follow-up of chronic diseases: hypertension, coronary artery disease, annual assessment of aorta disease or of prosthetic valve function (normal function on the previous test and no new symptom)

FC: functional class; VAD: ventricular assistance device.