Ultrasound imaging uses sound waves to create images of the interior of the body. It helps diagnose the causes of pain, inflammation and infections of the internal organs of the body and diagnose the fetus (fetus) in pregnant women. In children, doctors often use ultrasound to evaluate the brain, hip and spine. . It can also help perform biopsies, diagnose heart disease and evaluate damage after a heart attack. Ultrasound is safe, non-invasive and radiation free.
This method requires little or no special preparation. Tell your doctor how to prepare, even if you do not eat or drink before. Leave the jewelry at home and wear loose, comfortable clothing. You may have to change your clothes. Routine ultrasound shows images of thin flat body parts. Advances in ultrasound technology include three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound, which formats sound wave data into 3D images.
A Doppler ultrasound study may be part of the ultrasound examination.
Doppler ultrasound scan is a special ultrasound technique that evaluates the movement of body materials. This allows the doctor to see and evaluate the flow of blood through the veins and arteries of the body. There are three types of Doppler ultrasound:
Color Doppler uses a computer to convert Doppler measurements to a variety of colors so that the velocity and direction of blood flow through a vein can be seen.
Power Doppler is a newer technique that is more sensitive than color Doppler and is able to provide more detail about blood flow, especially if the blood flow is small or small. However, the Power Doppler does not help the radiologist determine the direction of blood flow, which may be important in some situations.
Spectral Doppler graph showing blood flow measurements in terms of distance traveled per unit time, instead of a color image. It can also translate blood flow information into another sound that can be heard with each heartbeat.
What are some common uses of the procedure?
Ultrasound exams can help diagnose a variety of conditions and assess organ damage after illness.
Doctors use ultrasound to evaluate:
- pain
- swelling
- infection
Ultrasound is a useful way to examine many of the body’s internal organs, including but not limited to the following:
- heart and blood vessels, including the abdominal aorta and its main branches
- liver
- gallbladder
- spleen
- pancreas
- kidneys
- bladder
- uterus, ovaries, and fetus (fetus) in pregnant patients
- eyes
- thyroid and parathyroid glands
- scrotum (testicles)
- brain in babies
- hips in babies
- spine in babies
ultrasound scan is also used to:
guide procedures such as needle biopsies, in which needles remove cells from an abnormal area for laboratory testing.
take pictures of the breasts and guide the breast cancer biopsy (see the Ultrasound-Guided Breast Biopsy page).
diagnose a variety of heart conditions, including valve problems and congestive heart failure, and assess damage after a heart attack. Heart ultrasound is often called an “echocardiogram” or “echo”.
Doppler ultrasound can help doctors see and evaluate:
- blood flow obstruction (as clots)
- ship contamination
- tumor and congenital vascular malformations
- reduction or loss of blood flow to various organs such as the testicles or ovaries
- increased blood flow, which may be a sign of infection
With knowledge of the rate and amount of blood flow obtained from a Doppler ultrasound image, the physician can always determine if the patient is a suitable candidate for an procedure such as angioplasty.
How do I prepare?
Wear comfortable, loose clothing. You may need to remove all clothing and jewelry from the inspection area. You may need to change your clothes for the procedure.
Preparation for the procedure will depend on the type of exam you will have. For some scans, your doctor may tell you not to eat or drink until 12 hours before the test. This season is not so much for babies and young children. For others, your doctor may ask you to drink up to six glasses of water two hours before the test to avoid urinating. This ensures that your bladder is full at the beginning of the scan.
What does the team look like?
Ultrasound devices consist of a computer console, a video monitor and a connected transducer. The converter is a small handheld device similar to a microphone.
Which Scan Is Best For Early Pregnancy?
If you are pregnant, there are several tests available. These tests can confirm your pregnancy and also check your baby’s development in the womb. No medical test is 100% accurate, but most pregnancy tests are very reliable.
Regular check-ups with your family doctor (obstetrician) or obstetrician are an important part of your pregnancy care, including information and advice on the tests you and your baby need. prenatal tests In addition to assessing the overall health of the mother and baby, different types of tests are available for pregnant women:
pregnancy tests
If you think you may be pregnant, see your GP (or family planning counseling service) to have a early pregnancy scan. Your doctor may perform a pregnancy test for your blood or urine. Alternatively, you can purchase a home pregnancy test, which is available at pharmacies. However, if you use a home kit, always consult your doctor to confirm the pregnancy. A typical pregnancy test checks a woman’s blood or urine for a substance called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). It is a hormone produced by the placenta. If the hormone hCG is present, it usually means that the woman is pregnant. A home pregnancy test can give a false positive or false negative result.
See the Pregnancy Test Fact Sheet for more information. Maternal health research
During pregnancy, you will have blood tests to check:
- your blood type – it is important to know if you are Rh-negative because problems can occur during pregnancy when a Rh-negative woman gives birth to an Rh-positive child
- if you are immune to rubella (German measles)
- if you have infections (such as HIV, hepatitis B, rubella or syphilis, etc.)
- the level of your iron
- if you have gestational diabetes.
You will also have:
urine test in early pregnancy to check for urinary tract infections (which, if left untreated, can lead to premature birth or underweight) a vaginal swab test at weeks 36 to 38 to check for group B streptococci (which may be passed on to your baby at birth and may harm the baby).
If you consider a higher risk, you may also consider:
- hepatitis C
- chlamydia
- asymptomatic bacterial vaginosis
- vitamin D deficiency
- species rhesus
Problems can occur during pregnancy when an Rh-negative woman gives birth to an Rh-positive child. As a result, a blood test is performed at the beginning of pregnancy to determine the mother’s blood type. If you are Rh negative, you will receive an anti-D injection:
- at your prenatal meeting from week 26 to 28
- during your prenatal appointment in weeks 34 to 36
after birth (if your baby is Rh positive). Anti-D is a special injection that prevents the immune system of Rh-negative mothers from rejecting Rh-positive red blood cells of her babies.
See the blood group information sheet for more information.
Rubella infection is mild in most people, but if the mother orders rubella during the first 16 weeks of pregnancy, it can have dangerous consequences for the fetus. If this happens, the baby is at risk of serious and permanent birth defects or death. For this reason, pregnant women should have a blood test to find out if they have rubella (and therefore are immune) or not (this is where they should avoid contact with anyone who has rubella). Sick mothers should not be vaccinated during pregnancy, but should receive the vaccine after delivery (and then prevent further pregnancies for 28 days).
Glucose test for gestational diabetes some women develop temporary diabetes during pregnancy. This is called “gestational diabetes”.
Most women are diagnosed with a pathological test that requires a blood sample before and after drinking glucose. These tests are usually performed between the 26th and 28th week of pregnancy.
Vaccines in pregnancy the seasonal influenza vaccine (often called the “flu shot”) is recommended and funded for all pregnant women.
