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Abdominal
Ultrasound
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What is the
test?
Ultrasound uses sound waves instead of radiation
to generate snapshots or moving pictures of structures
inside the body. This imaging technique works in
a manner similar to radar and sonar, developed
in World War II to detect airplanes, missiles,
and submarines that were otherwise invisible. After
coating your skin with a lubricant to reduce friction,
a radiologist or ultrasound technician places an
ultrasound transducer, which looks like a microphone,
on your skin and may rub it back and forth to get
the right view. The transducer sends sound waves
into your body and picks up the echoes of the sound
waves as they bounce off internal organs and tissue.
A computer transforms these echoes into an image
that is displayed on a monitor.
Using an abdominal ultrasound, a doctor can
detect gallstones, check the liver for cancers,
examine the kidneys for cancers or for blockages
in the flow of urine, measure the size of the
spleen or the width of the aorta (the body’s
largest artery), and look for fluid around the
abdominal organs.
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How
do I prepare for the test?
You must fast on the day of the test. Digesting
food causes your intestines to fill with extra
air, which reduces the resolution of the ultrasound
image. Tell your doctor if you take insulin,
because insulin can make your blood sugar drop
after a period of fasting.
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What
happens when the test is performed?
As you lie on your back on a table, a technician
or doctor squirts some clear jelly onto your
lower abdomen to help the ultrasound sensor slide
around easily and places the sensor against your
skin. An image of your abdominal organs appears
on a video screen, and the technician or doctor
moves the sensor back and forth across your abdomen
to see specific organs from different views.
It’s helpful for you to mention any soreness
during the test—for example, if you’re
tender while the sensor pushes against a particular
area, such as your gallbladder or appendix.
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What
risks are there from the test?
There are no risks.
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Must
I do anything special after the test is over?
No.
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How
long is it before the result of the test is
known?
If your doctor performs the ultrasound, you
may get preliminary results immediately. In many
cases, though, the test is performed by a technician
who won’t be able to provide any results.
In either case, the test is recorded on videotape
so that it can be reviewed later by a radiologist.Your
doctor should have the radiologist’s report
in one to four days, and can provide you with
complete results then.
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