Abdominal Ultrasound

The enlarged area in the lower part of the aorta is an abdominal aortic aneurysm. An ultrasound image of an abdominal aortic aneurysm is shown in the upper right corner. Ultrasound imaging is often used to diagnose abdominal aortic aneurysms.

abdominal ultrasound

An abdominal ultrasound is a medical imaging test that uses sound waves to see inside the belly (abdomen) area. It's the preferred screening test for an abdominal aortic aneurysm. However, the test may be used to diagnose or rule out many other health conditions.

An abdominal aortic aneurysm, or aortic aneurysm, is an enlarged area in the lower part of the body's main artery (aorta). Health care providers recommend an abdominal ultrasound to screen for an aortic aneurysm in men ages 65 to 75 who smoke or used to smoke. Such screening isn't recommended for people who've never smoked. But it may be done if you have symptoms or a family history of an aortic aneurysm.

For example, an abdominal ultrasound can help determine the cause of stomach pain or bloating. It can help check for kidney stones, liver disease, tumors and many other conditions. Your provider may recommend this test if you're at risk of an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

An abdominal ultrasound is the most common test to screen for abdominal aortic aneurysms. Screening means looking for the condition in people without symptoms. Early diagnosis helps you and your provider take steps to manage and treat the aneurysm. If an aortic aneurysm ruptures, the bleeding can quickly lead to death.

You usually need to avoid food and drinks for 8 to 12 hours before an abdominal ultrasound. This is called fasting. Fasting helps prevent gas buildup in the belly area, which could affect the results.

For an abdominal ultrasound, you lie on your back on an examination table. A trained care provider (sonographer) applies a special gel to your belly area. The gel works with the ultrasound device to provide better images.

If the ultrasound test didn't show an aneurysm, you usually don't need any additional screenings to rule out an abdominal aneurysm. If the ultrasound was meant to rule other health concerns, you may still need additional studies.

If the test shows an aortic aneurysm or other health concern, you and your care provider will discuss a treatment plan. Treatment for an abdominal aortic aneurysm may include regular health checkups (watchful waiting) or surgery.

Results: Among the 925 patients who were randomized (mean [SD] age, 9.7 [5.3] years; 575 males [62%]), all completed the study. A total of 50 patients (5.4%, 95% CI, 4.0% to 7.1%) were diagnosed with intra-abdominal injuries, including 40 (80%; 95% CI, 66% to 90%) who had intraperitoneal fluid found on an abdominal CT scan, and 9 patients (0.97%; 95% CI, 0.44% to 1.8%) underwent laparotomy. The proportion of patients with abdominal CT scans was 241 of 460 (52.4%) in the FAST group and 254 of 465 (54.6%) in the standard care-only group (difference, -2.2%; 95% CI, -8.7% to 4.2%). One case of missed intra-abdominal injury occurred in a patient in the FAST group and none in the control group (difference, 0.2%; 95% CI, -0.6% to 1.2%). The mean ED length of stay was 6.03 hours in the FAST group and 6.07 hours in the standard care-only group (difference, -0.04 hours; 95% CI, -0.47 to 0.40 hours). Median hospital charges were $46 415 in the FAST group and $47 759 in the standard care-only group (difference, -$1180; 95% CI, -$6651 to $4291).

Conclusions and relevance: Among hemodynamically stable children treated in an ED following blunt torso trauma, the use of FAST compared with standard care only did not improve clinical care, including use of resources; ED length of stay; missed intra-abdominal injuries; or hospital charges. These findings do not support the routine use of FAST in this setting.

Your doctor has requested an ultrasound of your abdomen. Ultrasound is a safe and painless procedure that uses sound waves to "see" inside your body. The scan can help diagnose such medical conditions as abdominal masses, gallbladder disease and gallstones, as well as problems in the liver, kidneys, pancreas or spleen.

An ultrasound machine sends sound waves into the abdominal area and images are recorded on a computer. The black-and-white images show internal structures such as the appendix, intestines, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, and bladder.

Doctors order an abdominal ultrasound when they're concerned about symptoms such as belly pain, repeated vomiting, abnormal liver or kidney function tests, or a swollen belly. The tests can show them the size of the abdominal organs and help them check for injuries to or diseases of the organs.

An abdominal ultrasound is an imaging test. It allows your doctor to look inside your abdomen (often referred to as your stomach or belly) without surgery. The abdomen is the part of your body that contains your stomach, large and small intestines, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder. It contains blood vessels, including the main artery that supplies blood from your heart (aorta), the large vein that carries blood to your heart (inferior vena cava) and all of its branches. Also, it contains muscles and your spine.

An abdominal ultrasound is one of the primary tests used to find an abdominal aortic aneurysm. This is a medical condition that causes the artery that supplies blood to the lower part of your body to bulge. On rare occasions, the bulge can burst (called an abdominal aortic rupture). This can be dangerous, even deadly. When it bursts, it can cause internal bleeding and requires immediate medical attention.

Men who smoke or used to smoke are at a higher risk of having an aortic aneurysm. This is especially true for men over the age of 65. If you are a male who has ever smoked, and are between the ages of 65-75, talk to your doctor about an abdominal ultrasound to determine your risk for this condition. Others at risk for an aortic aneurysm include people who are white, have a family history of a thickening of artery walls, have high blood pressure, have had an aneurysm in another artery, or are severely obese. If you are having an abdominal ultrasound for an aortic aneurysm, your doctor may have you fast (no food or liquid, except water) for 8 to 12 hours before your test. Having food and liquids in your stomach or urine in your bladder makes it difficult for the technician to see inside your abdomen. Other reasons your doctor may order this test include:

Your doctor will examine you before deciding if you should have an abdominal ultrasound. Ultrasounds do not expose you to radiation. You may have some mild discomfort as the wand is moved over the area of your abdominal pain.

Abdominal ultrasounds can be ordered a complete or limited. The abdomen limited includes images of the pancreas, liver, gallbladder, and right kidney. The abdomen complete includes imaging the aorta, IVC, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, right and left kidneys, and spleen.

If you are reading this blog, your pet has likely been advised to have an abdominal ultrasound for some type of health issue they are having. So, what exactly is an abdominal ultrasound? What are we looking for? What will happen to your pet during this test? This blog will cover the basic questions and concerns you may have regarding this common diagnostic procedure.

At SunstoneVets, an exam and consultation is always done alongside an abdominalultrasound. The doctor will review all of your pets medical records and answeryour questions prior to performing the ultrasound.

An abdominal ultrasound can be recommended in a wide variety of circumstances. Perhaps your pet has elevated liver values and your doctor wants to get a closer look at their liver to check for visual abnormalities. Maybe your dog or cat has chronic gastrointestinal symptoms. An abdominal ultrasound will allow your doctor to get a detailed look at their stomach and intestines, as well other associated structures. Maybe your pet has diabetes mellitus and they want to check for other health problems that may be impacting this disease.

Abdominalultrasound is not entirely unlike the belly ultrasound that a pregnant womanmay receive. Your dog or cat will be lying on their back in a soft paddedtrough. They will be gently restrained by our caring staff while the doctorscans their belly with the probe. They will likely need to have their furclipped. This is an important step because by clipping the fur and using warmultrasound gel, we can help ensure good contact between the probe and the bellyto get the best picture possible.

Sometimesthe abdominal ultrasound will lead your doctor to recommend further testing.This may include labwork (ie: blood or urine tests), taking needle samples ofsomething they saw, recommending endoscopy or surgery, etc. You and your pets doctor will have an in-depth discussion of theirfindings and recommendations for moving forward after the ultrasound.

We hope that this blog helped shed some light on how and why abdominal ultrasound can be a valuable tool for your pet. Feel free to give us a call to schedule a time to discuss your pets case and how we can help!

An ultrasound scan is a diagnostic technique which uses high-frequency soundwaves to create an image of the internal organs. A screening ultrasound is sometimes done during the course of a pregnancy to monitor normal fetal growth and verify the due date. Ultrasounds may be performed at various times throughout pregnancy for different reasons:

Abdominal ultrasound. In an abdominal ultrasound, gel is applied to the abdomen and the ultrasound transducer glides over the gel on the abdomen to create the image. A woman may need to have a full bladder for abdominal ultrasounds in early pregnancy.

Transvaginal ultrasound. In a transvaginal ultrasound, a smaller ultrasound transducer is inserted into the vagina and rests against the back of the vagina to create an image. A transvaginal ultrasound produces a sharper image and is often used in early pregnancy. 041b061a72