Final answer:
Continuous wave Doppler is commonly used for assessing valvular stenosis and regurgitation. It measures changes in the frequency of sound waves reflected by moving blood cells, which is crucial for identifying abnormal blood flow through the heart's valves.
Step-by-step explanation:
Continuous wave Doppler is commonly used for assessing valvular stenosis and regurgitation. This ultrasound technique is instrumental in detecting motion and determining blood velocity through the Doppler shift of an echo. It utilizes the Doppler effect to measure changes in frequency due to the motion of blood cells, allowing for the assessment of blood flow abnormalities associated with heart valve issues.
Doppler ultrasound technology is a vital tool in cardiology, employed for various purposes including the monitoring of fetal heartbeats, measuring blood velocity, and detecting occlusions in blood vessels. The speed of blood can be measured to identify areas of arterial constriction, where increased velocity indicates higher resistance and potential turbulence.
Although a sphygmomanometer is used to determine systolic blood pressure, and cardiac output can be evaluated to infer left ventricular function, continuous wave Doppler is specifically adept at identifying dysfunctional flow patterns through heart valves, such as those seen in stenosis (narrowing) or regurgitation (backflow).