From Echocardiography in ICU

 

Apical 2 chamber view

 

Apical 2 chamber view is obtained from apical 4 chamber view. You will need to rotate your probe counterclockwise 90°, the notch will be around 12 to 1 o'clock.  You can aim toward the patient's left armpit to get a better image.

This view is useful to assess the inferior and anterior walls of the LV. It gives you a more precise evaluation of the direction and severity of mitral regurgitation. You should not see the right chambers.

You will see:

-LV: left ventricle. You will see the anterior wall, the apex and the inferior wall.

-MV: mitral valve. The posterior leaflet is on the left of the screen, the anterior leaflet is on the right of the screen (connected to the anterior wall of the LV)

-LA: left atrium

Apical 3 chamber view

 

If you continue to rotate your probe counter-clockwise till the notch is approximately 11 o'clock, the aortic valve and aortic root will appear: this is the apical 3 chamber view. In this view you will be able to assess the contractility of the antero-lateral and posterior walls. The alignement of the Doppler beam with the LVOT should allow you to quantitate the severity of aortic stenosis.