What is Ultrasound?
Ultrasound uses sound waves and a computer to create images of internal organs and blood vessels and to monitor many medical conditions, including the progress of pregnancy. A tool called a transducer that emits sound waves is placed over the area of the body being examined. The sound waves bounce off these structures and their echoes are received by the transducer, which then sends the information to a computer. The computer analyzes the information and creates a moving image.
When and Why?
- Doppler ultrasound (to visualize blood flow through a blood vessel).
- Bone sonography (to diagnose osteoporosis).
- Echocardiogram (to view the heart).
- Fetal ultrasound (to view the fetus in pregnancy).
- Ultrasound-guided biopsies.
- Doppler fetal heart rate monitors (to listen to the fetal heart beat).
How? – ULTRASOUND PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- ABDOMEN – FASTING 4 HOUR PRIOR TO EXAM. (PATIENT CAN ONLY DRINK WATER TO TAKE MEDS IF NEEDED.)
- PELVIC – FULL BLADDER. DRINK 24-32OZ OF WATER 1 HOUR PRIOR TO EXAM AND HOLD IT.
- PELVIC/TRANSVAGINAL – FULL BLADDER. DRINK 24-32OZ OF WATER 1 HOUR PRIOR TO EXAM AND HOLD IT.
- TRANSVAGINAL – EMPTY BLADDER
- RENAL/BLADDER – DRINK 16OZ OF WATER 1 HOUR PRIOR TO EXAM AND HOLD IT.
- >14 WEEKS OB – NO PREP. PATIENT IS ALLOWED TO HAVE A GUEST IN EXAM ROOM.
- <14 WEEKS OB – FULL BLADDER. DRINK 24-32OZ OF WATER 1 HOUR PRIOR TO EXAM AND HOLD IT. INFORM THE PATIENT THAT SINCE THEY ARE LESS THAN 14 WEEKS, NO ONE IS PERMITTED IN THE EXAM ROOM WITH THEM.
- ALL OTHER EXAMS HAVE NO PREP