Ultrasound

Ultrasound

Ultrasound or sonography is a medical technique which uses high frequency sound waves to create an image of the internal structure of the body. It is mostly used to look at a baby in the womb or diagnose an ailment or examine a medical condition. Ultrasound imaging is often used in sports medicine, for controlling an excessive bleeding, or for guiding a needle when a biopsy or an injection is to be given.

Preparation for Ultrasound

Generally, preparation for ultrasound is simple. You may be asked to drink water or other fluids to fill the bladder for certain abdominal or pelvic examinations. Before proceeding for the exam, the doctor or technician should explain what will occur during the procedure, such as the expected duration and any discomfort that might be associated with it.

Procedure for Ultrasound

In general, ultrasound procedure includes following steps:

• The person or patient undergoing ultrasound will either lie on a bed or the examination table or may be asked to stand or sit depending on the part of the body to be studied.
• The technician will place a gel on the area that requires scanning. This gel helps to transmit the sound waves properly.
• The technician will then hold up an instrument called transducer, which emits high frequency sound waves, against the skin and slides it back and forth.
• The sound waves that emanate from the transducer bounce back after hitting the structures inside the body, and this creates a two dimensional real-time image that can be seen on the screen.

Types of Ultrasound

• 2-Dimensional Ultrasound – This type of ultrasound produces images of a single plane. It is used to image a fetus during pregnancy.
• 3-Dimensional Ultrasound – Also called 3D ultrasound, it is used to visualize an object in three planes. It can create pictures that are easy for everyone to understand.
• Doppler Ultrasound – A special type of imaging that senses the movement of an object, like a blood vessel or a fetus’ heart. It helps to measure the velocity and direction of an object.
• Fetal Ultrasound – It produces images of a fetus in a pregnant woman's uterus.

Risks of Ultrasound

The risks associated with ultrasound are minimal. Because it employs sound waves, not radiation, and is noninvasive, the procedure poses no threat to the patient. That said, health professionals recommend limiting the use of ultrasound to medically necessary exams only.

Why and When Ultrasound is Used?

Ultrasound is used to determine problems in many internal organs, like the liver, heart, spleen, kidneys, abdominal aorta, gallbladder, pancreas, and bladder. It is also used to look at the ovaries, uterus, and the fetus during pregnancy. Ultrasound helps in detecting tumors, cysts, internal bleeding, kidney stones, and other potentially harmful conditions.

Ultrasound is used in both diagnosis and treatment. It is used for guidance when inserting intravenous needles, for performing biopsies, lumbar punctures, and other invasive medical procedures, as well as for administering ablation therapy for treating cardiac arrhythmia.