A trained medical technician moves a handheld device called a wand across your belly. The wand is connected to an ultrasound machine. As the technician moves the wand across your belly, it produces high-frequency sound waves. Those sound waves create real-time images and video of the inside of your belly. The images look similar to an X-ray. Before starting the process, the technician will apply a small amount of a clear gel to your stomach. This helps the wand move easily.
The gel may feel cold. Abdominal ultrasounds are performed on people who have unexplained abdominal pain or have had abdominal injuries. When you arrive for your ultrasound, you will be asked to undress and put on a light gown.
A technician will apply the gel onto your abdomen and spread it around using the wand. The technician will watch the images as they appear on a nearby monitor. He or she will record the images for the doctor to review. The test typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete. You will not get results from the technician. He or she will send the images to your doctor to review.
An abdominal ultrasound is one of the primary tests used to find an abdominal aortic aneurysm. This is a medical condition that causes the artery that supplies blood to the lower part of your body to bulge. Tell your child to try to relax during the procedure, as tense muscles can make it more difficult to get accurate results. If you have questions about the abdominal ultrasound, speak with your doctor. You can also talk to the technician before the exam.
Reviewed by: KidsHealth Medical Experts. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What It Is An abdominal ultrasound is a safe and painless test that uses sound waves to make images of the abdomen belly.
Why It's Done Doctors order an abdominal ultrasound when they're concerned about symptoms such as abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, abnormal liver or kidney function tests, or a swollen belly. Specific conditions that ultrasound can help diagnose include: appendicitis inflammation of the appendix pyloric stenosis narrowing of the lower part of the stomach, which blocks the passage of food from the stomach to the intestines stones in the kidneys or gall bladder abdominal masses such as tumors, cysts, or abscesses abnormal fluid in the abdomen Abdominal ultrasounds can be used to guide procedures such as needle biopsies or catheter insertion to help ensure accurate placement of the needle or the catheter.
Procedure The abdominal ultrasound usually will be done in the radiology department of a hospital or in a radiology center. Risks No risks are associated with an abdominal ultrasound. Helping Your Child Some younger children may be afraid of the machinery used for the ultrasound. If You Have Questions If you have questions about the abdominal ultrasound, speak with your doctor.
The transducer sends out inaudible, high-frequency sound waves into the body and listens for the returning echoes. The same principles apply to sonar used by boats and submarines. The technologist applies a small amount of gel to the area under examination and places the transducer there. The gel allows sound waves to travel back and forth between the transducer and the area under examination. The ultrasound image is immediately visible on a video monitor. The computer creates the image based on the loudness amplitude , pitch frequency , and time it takes for the ultrasound signal to return to the transducer.
Ultrasound imaging uses the same principles as the sonar that bats, ships, and fishermen use. When a sound wave strikes an object, it bounces back or echoes. By measuring these echo waves, it is possible to determine how far away the object is as well as its size, shape, and consistency. This includes whether the object is solid or filled with fluid. Doctors use ultrasound to detect changes in the appearance of organs, tissues, and vessels and to detect abnormal masses, such as tumors.
In an ultrasound exam, a transducer both sends the sound waves and records the echoing returning waves. When the transducer is pressed against the skin, it sends small pulses of inaudible, high-frequency sound waves into the body. As the sound waves bounce off internal organs, fluids and tissues, the sensitive receiver in the transducer records tiny changes in the sound's pitch and direction.
A computer instantly measures these signature waves and displays them as real-time pictures on a monitor. The technologist typically captures one or more frames of the moving pictures as still images. They may also save short video loops of the images.
Doppler ultrasound, a special ultrasound technique, measures the direction and speed of blood cells as they move through vessels. The movement of blood cells causes a change in pitch of the reflected sound waves called the Doppler effect.
A computer collects and processes the sounds and creates graphs or color pictures that represent the flow of blood through the blood vessels. For most ultrasound exams, you will lie face-up on an exam table that can be tilted or moved. Patients may turn to either side to improve the quality of the images.
The radiologist a doctor specifically trained to supervise and interpret radiology exams or sonographer will position you on the exam table. They will apply a water-based gel to the area of the body under examination.
The gel will help the transducer make secure contact with the body. It also eliminates air pockets between the transducer and the skin that can block the sound waves from passing into your body. The sonographer places the transducer on the body and moves it back and forth over the area of interest until it captures the desired images.
There is usually no discomfort from pressure as they press the transducer against the area being examined. However, if the area is tender, you may feel pressure or minor pain from the transducer. Once the imaging is complete, the technologist will wipe off the clear ultrasound gel from your skin. Make sure to let your technician know right away if the pain becomes severe.
When the scan is done, the technician will clean the gel off your abdomen. The procedure usually lasts less than 30 minutes. A radiologist will interpret your ultrasound images.
Your doctor will discuss the results with you at a follow-up appointment. Your doctor may ask for another follow-up scan or other tests and set up an appointment to check on any issues that were found. A hernia occurs when an organ pushes through the muscle or tissue that holds it in place.
Learn about hiatal hernia, treatment, diagnosis, pregnancy…. Learn about abdominal abscess symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment. Kidney stones, or renal calculi, are masses made of crystals. Learn more about causes and symptoms here. Lung cancer is a serious diagnosis but research is helping to find new treatments. Learn how lung cancer appears in X-rays, CT scans, and biopsies.
Most women will develop at least one cyst on their ovaries during their lives. In most cases, these cysts are painless and cause no symptoms.
0コメント