Critical care echocardiography (CCE) is now widely accepted by the critical care community as a valuable tool in the ICU and emergency department, and in perioperative settings.

It allows rapid and accurate diagnosis, and it is useful for guiding the ongoing management of the critically ill patient.

Advanced CCE allows full hemodynamic monitoring, leading to adaptation of the circulatory and respiratory strategy.

Structured training programs for both basic and advanced CEE have been developed in the past few years, and international level certification is now available for advanced CCE.

In the last 10 years, CCE has become an essential branch of critical care ultrasonography and has gained general acceptance.

Its use, both as a diagnostic tool and for hemodynamic monitoring, has increased markedly, influencing contemporary cardiorespiratory management.

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