Recently, several trial protocols with trans-thoracic echocardiography to guide intraoperative goal directed fluid and hemodynamic therapy (GDFHT) in pediatric surgical settings have been described. Questions have been asked concerning the feasibility of intraoperative trans–thoracic echocardiography (TTE) due to the surgical field. It is of common knowledge that any technique has its limits. One should have in mind that one limits of transthoracic echocardiography is the patient’s echogenicity. The other limit is the access to the thorax for which the apical 5 chamber view and the parasternal longitudinal view will be necessary to register the parameters. Another limiting factor is the familiarity with trans-thoracic technique of the medical team. There are continuous medical education (CME) programs with echocardiography organized which are accessible.
GDFHT; TTE; Postoperative Outcome