Cardiac | Echo under pressure: Echocardiography in high-acuity cardiac care (cont.)
Tracks
Rm 9 | Virtual
Cardiac
| Saturday, May 30, 2026 |
| 9:30 AM - 10:15 AM |
| Rm 9 | First Floor |
Speaker
Assoc Prof Sandhir Prasad
Clinical Lead in Echocardiography
RBWH
Pericardial disease: Restriction vs constriction- the differentiation
9:30 AM - 9:50 AMPresentation Synopsis / Abstract
This talk will cover the distinction between constriction and restriction, and also discuss constrictive-effusive physiology and how to distinguish it from cardiac tamponade.
Biography
Assoc Prof Sandhir B Prasad |
RBWH
A/Prof Sandhir B Prasadis a senior staff cardiologist and clinical lead in echocardiography at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. He is a Monash medical graduate, completed his training in cardiology at Wellington Hospital (NZ), and then completed research and clinical fellowships at Westmead Hospital (Sydney), MonashHeart (Melbourne) and Princess Alexandra Hospital (Brisbane). He has been awarded research fellowships from the National Heart Foundation (NZ), Centres of Health Research (Qld) and Metro North (Clinician Research Fellowship). He is the recipient of Awards of Excellence from ASUM (Australasian Sonologist of the Year) and Metro North Hospital and Health Service (Clinical Research Award). His PhD focussed on the pathophysiology of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction with publications in JASE, Heart and JACC: CV Imaging. He is an Associate Professor at the University of Queensland and Griffith University. He is the current president of the Queensland branch of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand.
Ms Caitlyn McKenzie
Cardiac Sonographer
QEII Jubilee Hospital
Echo in crisis **NEW VOICE**
9:50 AM - 10:00 AMPresentation Synopsis / Abstract
Echocardiography is a powerful diagnostic tool in cardiovascular emergencies, but performing an echo in crises presents unique challenges. Patients are often haemodynamically unstable, unable to be optimally positioned, or surrounded by urgent clinical activity. In these environments, sonographers and clinicians must work quickly under pressure, frequently accepting less-than-perfect images while still providing information critical for immediate clinical decision-making.
This presentation focuses on the practical realities of echocardiography in acute clinical crises and the importance of prioritising the key views required to identify life-threatening pathology such as cardiac tamponade, acute aortic dissection, and pulmonary embolism. Rather than aiming for a comprehensive study, the goal becomes a targeted examination that rapidly answers the most important clinical question.
Through a series of case examples, this session will demonstrate how echocardiographers can efficiently obtain the most informative views while balancing speed with diagnostic confidence. Emphasis will be placed on recognising the echocardiographic signs that matter most in time-critical scenarios and understanding which images provide the greatest diagnostic value when time is limited.
Ultimately, echo in crisis is not about achieving perfect images; it is about knowing which images matter most. By focusing on key views and promptly recognising critical pathology, echocardiography can play a decisive role in guiding urgent management and improving patient outcomes in high-pressure clinical settings.
This presentation focuses on the practical realities of echocardiography in acute clinical crises and the importance of prioritising the key views required to identify life-threatening pathology such as cardiac tamponade, acute aortic dissection, and pulmonary embolism. Rather than aiming for a comprehensive study, the goal becomes a targeted examination that rapidly answers the most important clinical question.
Through a series of case examples, this session will demonstrate how echocardiographers can efficiently obtain the most informative views while balancing speed with diagnostic confidence. Emphasis will be placed on recognising the echocardiographic signs that matter most in time-critical scenarios and understanding which images provide the greatest diagnostic value when time is limited.
Ultimately, echo in crisis is not about achieving perfect images; it is about knowing which images matter most. By focusing on key views and promptly recognising critical pathology, echocardiography can play a decisive role in guiding urgent management and improving patient outcomes in high-pressure clinical settings.
Biography
Ms Caitlyn McKenzie |
QEII Jubilee Hospital
Caitlyn McKenzie is an echocardiographer at QEII Jubilee Hospital in Brisbane. She completed a Bachelor of Biomedical Science and a Graduate Diploma in Clinical Physiology at Griffith University before working as a cardiac scientist on the Gold Coast.
Caitlyn later relocated to Hamilton, New Zealand, where she completed her clinical echocardiography training at Waikato Hospital while pursuing the Graduate Diploma of Cardiac Ultrasound through the Queensland University of Technology, which she finished in 2024.
Her clinical experience spans adult transthoracic, stress, and contrast echocardiography as well as assistance during structural heart procedures and on-call acute echocardiography. In 2025, Caitlyn was awarded the Australasian Sonographers Association Cardiac Ultrasound Clinical Excellence Prize in recognition of her clinical skill and professionalism while studying at QUT.
