Doctors usually request a test for the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers, an x-ray series or an endoscopy. Some research explores the potential for finding ulcers with an ultrasound, but experts do not have enough data to recommend it. In most cases, ultrasounds have little to no risks. Ultrasound technology can cause tissues to heat slightly or create small pockets of gas in body tissues. Experts do not know the long-term impact of these side effects.
As a result, they discourage getting an ultrasound for a non-medical purpose. The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances.
The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website. Skip to main content. Medical tests. Home Medical tests.
Ultrasound scan. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. Different uses of ultrasound scans Medical issues and ultrasound scans Ultrasound procedure Immediately after an ultrasound scan Taking care of yourself at home after an ultrasound scan Long-term outlook after an ultrasound scan Other types of scans Where to get help.
Different uses of ultrasound scans Doctors commonly use ultrasound for procedures such as: abdominal scans — may be used to investigate abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, abnormal sounds and lumps. Structures to be examined may include the gallbladder, bile ducts, liver, pancreas, spleen, kidneys and large blood vessels. A special type of ultrasound scan, called a Doppler ultrasound, is used to detect the speed and direction of blood flow in certain regions of the body, for example, neck arteries and leg veins.
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. Very rarely, young children may need sedation to hold still for the procedure.
Parents should ask about this beforehand and be made aware of prior food and drink restrictions that sedation requires. Once the imaging is complete, the technologist will wipe off the clear ultrasound gel from your skin. Any portions that remain will dry quickly. The ultrasound gel does not usually stain or discolor clothing. In some ultrasound exams, the doctor attaches a probe to the transducer and inserts into a body cavity.
These exams include:. If the doctor performs a Doppler ultrasound exam, you may hear pulse-like sounds that change in pitch as they monitor and measure the blood flow. When the exam is complete, the technologist may ask you to dress and wait while the doctor reviews the ultrasound images. A radiologist, a doctor trained to supervise and interpret radiology exams, will analyze the images. The radiologist will send a signed report to the doctor who requested the exam.
Your doctor will then share the results with you. In some cases, the radiologist may discuss results with you after the exam. You may need a follow-up exam. If so, your doctor will explain why. Sometimes a follow-up exam further evaluates a potential issue with more views or a special imaging technique. It may also see if there has been any change in an issue over time. Follow-up exams are often the best way to see if treatment is working or if a problem needs attention.
Ultrasound waves are disrupted by air or gas. Therefore, ultrasound is not an ideal imaging technique for the air-filled bowel or organs obscured by the bowel. Ultrasound is not as useful for imaging air-filled lungs, but it may be used to detect fluid around or within the lungs. Similarly, ultrasound cannot penetrate bone, but may be used for imaging bone fractures or for infection surrounding a bone.
Large patients are more difficult to image by ultrasound because greater amounts of tissue weaken the sound waves as they pass deeper into the body and need to return to the transducer for analysis. Ultrasound has difficulty penetrating bone and, therefore, can only see the outer surface of bony structures and not what lies within except in infants who have more cartilage in their skeletons than older children or adults.
Doctors typically use other imaging modalities such as MRI to visualize the internal structure of bones or certain joints. They may also assist in performing certain types of biopsy.
The person who performs an ultrasound scan is called a sonographer, but the images are interpreted by radiologists, cardiologists, or other specialists.
Ultrasound is sound that travels through soft tissue and fluids, but it bounces back, or echoes, off denser surfaces. This is how it creates an image. For diagnostic uses, the ultrasound is usually between 2 and 18 megahertz MHz. Higher frequencies provide better quality images but are more readily absorbed by the skin and other tissue, so they cannot penetrate as deeply as lower frequencies. Ultrasound will travel through blood in the heart chamber, for example, but if it hits a heart valve, it will echo, or bounce back.
It will travel straight through the gallbladder if there are no gallstones , but if there are stones, it will bounce back from them. This bouncing back, or echo, gives the ultrasound image its features. Varying shades of gray reflect different densities. Some very small transducers can be placed onto the end of a catheter and inserted into blood vessels to examine the walls of blood vessels.
Ultrasound is commonly used for diagnosis, for treatment, and for guidance during procedures such as biopsies.
It can be used to examine internal organs such as the liver and kidneys, the pancreas, the thyroid gland, the testes and the ovaries, and others. An ultrasound scan can reveal whether a lump is a tumor. This could be cancerous, or a fluid-filled cyst. It can help diagnose problems with soft tissues, muscles, blood vessels, tendons, and joints. It is used to investigate a frozen shoulder , tennis elbow , carpal tunnel syndrome , and others.
0コメント