On occasion, a special type of sonography is arranged for a careful evaluation of a particular organ, like an abdominal ultrasonograph (or ultrasound). An abdominal ultrasonograph may test a number of things.
Purpose of an Abdominal Ultrasound
An abdominal ultrasound (AU) can be used to check the aorta, the most prominent blood vessel (arterial vessel) in the body. The aorta goes down the rear of the chest area and abdominal cavity. The aorta provides blood to the lower portion of the body and the lower extremities.
An AU can also be used to visualize the liver, which is a big, dome-shaped organ that lies beneath the ribs cage on the right flank (right side) of the abdominal cavity. The liver creates bile, a digestive material that metabolizes fat, stores sugars, and metabolizes a lot of excretory products in the body.
Abdominal ultrasounds check the gallbladder, a pouchlike organ beneath the liver. The gallbladder contains bile. When meals are eaten, the gallbladder compresses, sending bile into the bowels to help in breaking down food and absorbing fat-soluble nutrients.
AUs are used to investigate the spleen, which is the delicate, round, organ structure that helps to counteract infectious conditions and filters aged red blood cells. The spleen is found at the left of the abdomen, just behind the lower left rib.
Another common practice of ultrasound technicians is to check the pancreas, a gland situated in the upper abdominal cavity that creates hormones that help break down food particles. The digestive hormones are then discharged into the bowels. The pancreas also forces insulin into the blood; insulin helps the organs use sugars for energy.
Furthermore, health professionals employ abdominal ultrasounds to test the kidneys, which are the pair of bean-shaped organ structures found behind the top part of the abdomen. The kidneys remove waste material from the bloodstream and produce urine.
A Look into an Abdominal Ultrasound
An abdominal ultrasound can be performed by a physician who specializes in executing and evaluating imaging screens (a radiologist) or by an ultrasonography technologist (sonographer) who's hired by a radiologist. It is carried out in an ultrasound room in a clinic or hospital.
You'll have to take off any jewelry that may interfere with the ultrasonograph scan. You should take off all or most of your garments, depending on which region is analyzed (you might be permitted to keep on the underclothing if it doesn't interfere with the exam). You'll be given a special fabric or paper gown covering to wear at the time of the screening.
You will be asked to lie on your back (or on your side) on a cushioned exam table. Warmed gel will be applied on your stomach to improve the effectiveness of the sound waves. A pocket-sized hand-held unit, referred to as a transducer, is placed on your abdomen and run back and forth across it. An image of the organ structures and vasculature may be visualized on a TV monitor.
You might also be required to alter positions so additional images can be constructed. For a kidney ultrasonography, you could be required to lie on your abdomen.
You need to lie extremely still while the ultrasonography scan is being performed. You might be expected to take a breath and hold it for a few seconds during the screening. This allows the sonographer to view organs and other anatomical structures like the bile ducts more distinctly, since the bile ducts are not usually moving. Holding your breath steadily also drives the spleen and liver lower into the abdomen so they are not hidden by the lower ribs, which would otherwise makes it more difficult for the sonographer to evaluate organs in a clear way.
Abdominal ultrasonography generally takes thirty to 60 minutes. You might be required to wait in the office until the radiologist has reviewed the information. The radiotherapist may prefer to do further ultrasonography tests of a few regions of the abdominal cavity.
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References:
Fischbach FT, Dunning MB III, eds. (2004). "Manual of Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests" (7). Philadelphia; Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
Pagana KD, Pagana TJ (2006). Mosby’s Manual of Diagnostic and Laboratory Tests, (3) St. Louis; Mosby.
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