what does a bubble study look for
Usually a bubble echo is looking for an opening between the top 2 chambers in the heart. During a regular echo, which is totally noninvasive, they inject some saline with a small amount of air into an IV. That is the only invasive part of the test. They then look at the screen and see where the bubbles go. In a negative study, they all go over to the left side of the heart. In a positive study, some don't go to the left side, indicating a possible connection or small hole in the heart. It is totally painless; I have had 2 done.
This helps give a better picture of your child’s heart on the echocardiogram. One type of contrast medium is saline (sterile salt water) mixed with a gas. Usually, the gas is carbon dioxide, the same gas that makes soda fizzy. When this solution is used it is called a bubble study.