Testing and Quality Assurance Flashcards
7 cards from real ECHOCARDIOGRAM practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Testing and Quality Assurance flashcards as text
Which organization provides widely recognized guidelines for ultrasound equipment quality assurance in the United States?
Answer: AIUM (American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine)
The AIUM publishes widely adopted guidelines for ultrasound equipment QA, covering testing methods, frequencies, and acceptable performance standards.
A sonographer notices that spectral Doppler waveforms have a 'noisy' baseline even when the sample volume is placed in a non-moving region. This artifact is most consistent with:
Answer: Electronic noise or wall filter set too low
Noisy spectral baseline in a non-moving region suggests electronic noise or an inappropriately low wall filter that allows low-frequency clutter into the display.
When documenting QA results, which information is LEAST critical to include in the QA log?
Answer: Patient name from the most recent exam
Patient names are confidential and irrelevant to equipment QA documentation; QA logs track equipment performance, not patient-specific information.
What effect does operating an echocardiography system at a higher mechanical index (MI) have on image quality QA testing?
Answer: Increases acoustic output and can cause nonlinear bubble behavior in phantoms with microbubbles
Higher MI increases acoustic output and can cause nonlinear effects and bubble destruction in contrast phantom materials, affecting the validity of certain QA measurements.
Which of the following is an example of a 'process quality indicator' in an echocardiography lab QA program?
Answer: The number of technically adequate studies completed per month
A process quality indicator such as the rate of technically adequate studies measures the quality of the imaging process and workflow, not just equipment specifications.
A QA protocol calls for testing 'axial resolution' using a wire phantom. Which of the following correctly describes what is being measured?
Answer: The minimum distance along the beam axis between two targets that can be displayed as separate
Axial resolution is the minimum separation along the beam direction (depth axis) at which two targets can be distinguished as separate structures.
An echocardiography lab implements a peer review program where sonographers review each other's image quality. This is an example of which QA strategy?
Answer: Peer quality review for process improvement
Peer quality review is a process improvement strategy where colleagues assess each other's work to identify and correct technique or image quality issues.