|  | Conditions Treatments | Medical Conditions

Abdominal Ultrasound Preparation

Doctors perform abdominal ultrasound tests when they want to view the organs in your abdomen. There are many preparations for the ultrasound, depending on the organ or area to be viewed.

  1. Abdominal Ultrasound

    • An abdominal ultrasound involves using a small device called a transducer. It is placed against the skin in the area of the abdomen to be examined. A gel medium is used to pick up the waves of the ultrasound. The wand transmits and receives sound. These sound waves are inaudible to humans as they penetrate the body and go into your organs. The transducer detects these sound waves as they bounce off the organs. The waves are transformed into images on a screen. All sound bouncing off the individual organs transform the waves in a different manor so that each organ is detectable and recognized. On the screen, the organs are seen in live view so your doctor can see what is going on with each organ as he is viewing it.

    Preparation for Abdominal Ultrasound

    • No matter what organ you are having viewed, refrain from eating 8 to 12 hours before o the test. Ultrasounds of the abdomen are viewed much better if your stomach is not full. Food in the stomach that has not been digested will obscure the organs and give your doctor a false sense of what is what in the abdomen. Eating before the test will also promote excess gas in the abdomen, which will make visualizing the organs more difficult. For instance, if the doctor needs a good view of the gallbladder, eating before the test will cause the gallbladder to contract, distorting the view.

      You will be required to drink plenty of water to get a full bladder. The doctor and technician want your bladder full to get a good view of the surrounding organs. The uterus, ovaries, bladder wall and prostate gland are among the organs best viewed with a full bladder.

    Considerations

    • No known risks are associated with abdominal ultrasounds. They do not require radiation, so there is no concern there, unlike a regular X-ray. They are so safe, in fact, that they are used on pregnant women to view the fetus.

      If you have any questions, doubts or concerns, talk to your physician. The ultrasound technician can also answer your questions before your test. He or she will want to make sure you are completely comfortable with the test before you have it.

Medical Conditions - Related Articles