Diagnostic Imaging - Jerudong Park Medical Centre

When should an Ultrasound examination of theabdomen be done?There are many reasons for examining the abdomenwith an ultrasound. Among the common reasons whenan ultrasound examination of the abdomen should bedone are :• To look for causes of upper abdominal pain,which may be related to problems of the liver,gallbladder or kidneys.• To detect gallstones.• To determine abnormalities of the liver orspleen.• To evaluate the kidneys for blockage.With the use of ultrasound, the amount of fluidsurrounding the baby, as well as the placentacan be seen. The placenta’s position is helpful indetermining what kind of delivery you will have(vaginal or caesarian) and whether the baby willneed any special medical attention immediately afterdelivery. Early in pregnancy, it may be necessary toscan with a special transducer placed in the vagina tosee the baby.• To look for enlargements (aneurysms) and otherabnormalities of abdominal blood vessels.In some cases, the ultrasound may not be able toprovide all the information your doctor requires, inwhich case, additional studies may be required.Why should I have an Ultrasound examination duringpregnancy ?The most common reason for having an ultrasoundexamination is to determine the approximate ageand position of the baby and to make sure the babyis growing normally. Age can be determined early inthe pregnancy (2-3 months) by measuring the lengthof the baby. Later, at 4-7 months, age is derived bymeasurements of the head and the length of thefemur (the long bone inside the thigh). Thesemeasurements are then compared to a table that listaverages of normal baby growth.36 • Radiology UltrasoundAre there any special preparaton for PelvicExamination ?Depending on how far along you are in thepregnancy, the only preparation you may be askedto make is to have a full bladder by drinking about4-6 glasses of water an hour before the procedure. Thereason for this is that high frequency sound wavesused in ultrasound reveal well through liquid, but notthrough gas or air. Since the uterus is located in thepelvis behind loops of bowel containing gas and air,it is important to fill the bladder (also located in thepelvic area) with fluid to displace the bowel andprovide a clear window for viewing the baby.Radiology Ultrasound • 37