What is abdominal ultrasound? What can it check?

Abdominal ultrasound is a commonly used medical imaging method that uses ultrasound to generate real-time images of the abdominal organs to assess the morphology, structure, size and blood flow of the organs. Abdominal ultrasound is a non-invasive, radiation-free examination method that is widely used in clinical diagnosis and monitoring due to its safety and accuracy.

Inspection area:

Abdominal ultrasound mainly examines the abdominal visceral organs, including the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and large blood vessels in the abdomen (such as the inferior vena cava, abdominal aorta, renal arteries, and iliac arteries).

Purpose of inspection:

Assess the shape, size, and structure of abdominal organs

Detect tumors, stones, cysts and other lesions

Observe blood vessels and blood flow

Assess for ascites, effusion, etc.

Guide abdominal puncture, surgery and other treatment operations

What can be checked?

Liver: Evaluate the size, shape, and structure of the liver, and detect diseases such as tumors, fatty degeneration, and liver cysts.

Gallbladder and Bile Ducts: Check for gallstones, cholecystitis, bile duct obstruction, etc.

Pancreas: Assess the size and shape of the pancreas and detect cysts, inflammation, pancreatic cancer, etc.

Spleen: Observe the size and structure of the spleen, and detect spleen tumors, spleen obstruction, etc.

Kidneys: Assess the size, shape, and structure of the kidneys, and detect cysts, stones, hydronephrosis, tumors, etc.

Abdominal Blood Vessels: Observe the condition of the abdominal aorta, abdominal vena cava, mesenteric blood vessels, etc., and detect diseases such as aneurysms and thrombosis.

Ascites, Fluid Accumulation: Detection of fluid accumulation in the peritoneal cavity, ascites, etc.

Other Abdominal Organs: Diagnosis of lesions of the intestines, pelvic organs, etc.

Inspection method:

Patients need to fast for the test and usually need to hold their urine until the test is finished;

Lie flat on the examination bed, exposing your abdomen completely.

The doctor will apply coupling agent to the abdomen and then use the probe to gradually move it for examination;

The patient may need to change position to better view the abdominal organs;

No special preparation is usually required for the test, and it is a very safe and non-invasive test.

Indications:

Symptoms such as abdominal pain, abdominal mass, and jaundice;

Screening and evaluation of diseases of the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, kidney and other organs;

Auxiliary diagnosis of diseases such as post-abortion bleeding, endometrial thickening, and pelvic space-occupying lesions.

Note:

Pregnant women can have an abdominal ultrasound but they need to tell their doctor if they are pregnant;

Excessive gas in the gastrointestinal tract or severe intestinal gas accumulation may affect the inspection effect;

Try not to eat soy products or drink milk before abdominal ultrasound examination to reduce intestinal bloating;

Patients who have undergone abdominal surgery may be affected by the surgery, and doctors need to carefully consider the examination plan;

When performing abdominal ultrasound examination, it is not advisable to perform barium meal, gastroscopy, or colonoscopy first. When necessary, ultrasound examination should be performed first or after other examinations to avoid interference with each other;

Due to interference from gastrointestinal gas, it is not advisable to have the examination in the afternoon even if you are fasting.

Do I need to fast?

Examination of abdominal organs: For ultrasound examination of abdominal organs such as liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, adrenal glands, abdominal blood vessels, abdominal lymph nodes, etc., patients are advised to fast for 8-10 hours. This means that the dinner before the examination should be light and low in oil, and no food should be eaten the next morning, including rice, noodles, buns, dumplings, bread, vegetables, meat, porridge, milk, soy milk, eggs, beverages, etc. It is also recommended not to smoke or chew gum, and only a small amount of boiled water, drinking water or purified water can be consumed.

Urinary system examination: For ultrasound examination of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder, fasting is generally not required. If the bladder is to be examined, the bladder needs to be moderately full, which means that urine needs to be held before the examination in order to observe the condition of the bladder cavity and bladder wall.

Advantages and features of abdominal ultrasound :

Non-invasive: Abdominal ultrasound is a non-invasive examination method that does not require puncture or incision of the skin, reducing patient discomfort and the risk of infection.

No radiation: Abdominal ultrasound does not produce radiation and does not cause radioactive harm to patients and medical staff. It is suitable for long-term repeated examinations or special groups such as pregnant women.

Speed: Abdominal ultrasound examination can usually be completed in a short time, and can quickly obtain detailed images of abdominal organs, improving diagnostic efficiency.

Real-time: Abdominal ultrasound can obtain real-time organ images, and doctors can observe the structure and function of organs at any time and perform dynamic observation during the examination.

Versatility: Abdominal ultrasound can examine a variety of organs and diseases, covering a wide range and is of great significance for the diagnosis and monitoring of different abdominal diseases.

Auxiliary: Abdominal ultrasound can be used as an auxiliary means of other examination methods, such as CT, MRI, etc., which can provide more comprehensive diagnostic information and help doctors formulate treatment plans.

In short, abdominal ultrasound, as a common imaging examination method, plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of abdominal diseases. It is a safe and effective examination method and has great significance in clinical practice. (Mei Xiaoxi, Lingshou County People's Hospital, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province)