Ultrasound is a safe, painless and radiation-free examination technique using high frequency sound waves to produce still and live pictures of internal organs and systems. With all ultrasound exams, a handheld microphone-like device, a transducer, is scanned over the part of the body being examined. As the sound waves make contact with blood, tissue and bone, portions of the waves “echo” back to the transducer. The echoes are then analyzed by a computer to form continuous real-time images and videos.
How is an ultrasound performed?
Your examination (scan) will be performed by a radiologist or by a sonologist. They will start by asking you some brief questions about your medical history, current symptoms and you will be asked to lie down on a table. They will apply a clear water soluble gel to the part of the body to be examined. The gel helps the sound waves travel from the ultrasound machine through the skin, down to the tissues that are the target of the study. After applying the gel, the sonologist will guide the transducer – a handheld instrument – slowly across your skin while watching a continuous image on a computer screen.
You may feel some mild discomfort during examination.
A patient doesn’t need to discontinue medication for this exam.
How do I prepare for an ultrasound exam?
Ultrasound Upper Abdomen: Do not eat or drink for 8 hours prior to the examination.
Ultrasound Abdomen together with Urinary Bladder or Pelvis (trans-abdominal): Do not eat or drink for eight hours prior to the examination. Sixty minutes before your scan, drink five (200ml) glasses of water to have an adequately filled urinary bladder. You have to hold your urine till your examination is done.
Urinary Bladder, Pelvis (trans-abdominal), OBs: This examination must be done with a very full urinary bladder. Sixty minutes before your scan, drink five (200ml) glasses of water to have an adequately filled urinary bladder. You have to hold your urine till your examination is done.
No preparation is required for the following exams
Growth, Viability, Nuchal Translucency, Anomaly, Pelvis (trans-vaginal), Biophysical Profile, Thyroid, Eye, Brain, Chest, Breast, Neck, Parotid, Testis, Prostate, Hips, Shoulder, Knee.
Doppler Neck, Legs, Arms, Gynae
Note: 1. Do not smoke or chew gum prior (ultrasound abdomen only) as they can increase stomach gas.
2. Please bring all relevant prior examination films or studies (CT, MRI, ultrasound, x-rays, etc.) with you on the day of your exam.
AFTER THE EXAM
After an ultrasound examination, you should be able to resume your normal activities immediately.
LIST OF EXAMINATION (ULTRASOUND)
- ULTRASOUND ABDOMEN (LIVER, GALL BLADDER, COMMON BILE DUCT, SPLEEN, PANCREAS, KIDNEYS).
- ULTRASOUND PELVIS
- ULTRASOUND GROWTH SCAN
- ULTRASOUND VIABILITY SCAN
- ULTRASOUND ANOMALY SCAN
- BIOPHYSICAL PROFILE
- ULTRASOUND NUCHAL THICKNESS (NT SCAN)
- ULTRASOUND PROSTATE
- ULTRASOUND THYROID
- ULTRASOUND EYE
- ULTRASOUND BRAIN
- ULTRASOUND CHEST
- ULTRASOUND BREAST
- ULTRASOUND NECK
