Use of Echocardiography as a Supplementary Tool in Teaching Cardiac Anatomy and Physiology to Medical Students

Abstract

Background:

Ultrasonography has been increasingly used in teaching basic medicine. The simultaneous observation of the echocardiographic image and the electrocardiogram allows students to understand the physiological process of the heart and its function within the cardiovascular system.

Objective:

Evaluate the acquisition and retention of knowledge among medical students during the study of cardiac anatomy and physiology through the use of echocardiography.

Methods:

Thirty-four (34) students in the third semester took a pre-test (assessment 1) consisting of 20 multiple-choice questions, 15 of which were related to cardiac anatomy and physiology and 5 were “confusion-inducing questions.” The test was designed by one of the authors, blind to the others. After the theoretical meeting, assessment 2 was carried out with the same questions. The following week, a practical echocardiography meeting was held, aimed at evaluating anatomy and physiology. A post-test (assessment 3) was carried out 30 days after the first meeting to assess knowledge retention. The variables were analyzed by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Student’s T, and Wilcoxon tests, with a statistical significance level of p < 0.05.

Results:

The average number of correct answers in assessment 1 was 6.37 ± 2.0 (42.4%), 9.8 ± 2.2 (65.3%) in the second assessment, and 10.3 ± 2.5 (68.6%) in assessment 3. There was a statistical difference between assessment 1 and the other assessments (p = 0.01).

Conclusion:

Early introduction of echocardiography in the medical curriculum proves beneficial for imparting knowledge in cardiac physiology and anatomy, reinforcing theoretical understanding.