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Ultrasound examination (also known as ultrasonography) may be repeated many times, even at small intervals. This is important because thanks to ultrasound, the doctor learns the secrets of our body quickly and painlessly. Find out what an ultrasound scan is and where to get it to be sure the result is reliable.

Ultrasound( Ultrasound ,Ultrasound ,Ultrasound ) is one of the modern techniques in medicine, the basic diagnostic method. On the basis of the obtained results, decisions are made on treatment, prophylaxis, or abandoning the therapy used so far.

Ultrasoundis an imaging test that shows the shape and size of individual organs. In this way, the condition of the liver, pancreas, kidneys, ovaries, testes, breasts and scrotum are checked. You can detect abnormalities in them, for example, lumps or bumps. Transvaginal gynecological examination allows to assess the cervix and the bottom of the uterus, the condition of the ovaries and to detect fibroids, cysts and neoplastic diseases of the reproductive organ. In a pregnant woman, the inside of the uterus is examined through the abdominal wall to see if the fetus is developing properly. Under the control of the ultrasound apparatus, biopsies are also performed - the collection of tissues for histopathological examination, thanks to which an even more precise diagnosis can be made.

USG - types

  • ultrasound of the abdominal cavity
  • thyroid ultrasound
  • Breast ultrasound
  • Echo of the heart (ultrasound of the heart)
  • ultrasound of lymph nodes
  • USG of salivary glands
  • eye ultrasound
  • Vascular Doppler ultrasound
  • gynecological (transvaginal) ultrasound
  • transrectal (transrectal) ultrasound
  • ultrasound of the knee joint
  • ultrasound of the shoulder joint
  • ultrasound of the hip joint
  • ultrasound of the elbow joint
  • ultrasound of the wrist
  • ultrasound of the ankle joint

What is an ultrasound?

High-frequency acoustic waves, inaudible to the human ear, in the range from 1 to 10 MHz are used to image the inside of the human body. They penetrate our body painlessly and spread without damaging the cells. They are safe, unlike X-rays. In addition, you do not need to introduce any fluids into the body to create a contrast. Every organ reflectsultrasound differently, so you can recognize its structure. It can be said that the ultrasound machine arranges the reflected waves into images, records shapes and thus you can see deviations from the norm. It works similarly to the bat transmitting system that "sees" the surroundings and obstacles that reflect the ultrasound it sends.

The head with the ultrasound transducer is an important part of the device. The image of an organ or a selected tissue is created on the monitor due to the fact that the acoustic impulse is converted into an electric one.

Before the examination, you need to reveal the appropriate part of the body, which the doctor lubricates with a gel that facilitates conduction before applying the head. By moving the head, it obtains an image of the entire examined organ. But some places keep their secrets. Bone tissue and air in the digestive tract and lungs do not allow ultrasound to pass through. Therefore, it is impossible to evaluate the bones or organs lying inside the skull. In an infant, an ultrasound of the head is taken through the fontanell, and other techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography, are used to examine the brain and skeleton of adults.

How to prepare for an ultrasound scan?

If you are referred for ultrasound of the abdominal cavity, you should not eat foods that are difficult to digest and that provoke excessive gas production a few days before the scheduled date. They can blur the picture. Better to be on an empty stomach on the day of the examination. If we are going in the afternoon, let's have an easy-to-digest breakfast.

We do not smoke immediately before the test, because the smoke distorts the image. An hour or one and a half before entering the office, it is good to drink at least a liter of non-carbonated mineral water or unsweetened tea so that the bladder is full during the examination (we must feel the pressure). If necessary, your doctor will recommend that you take a laxative the night before. Men who are commissioned a transrectal examination of the prostate gland should have an enema beforehand.

On the other hand, ultrasound examination of the remaining soft tissues (in joints, muscles, breasts, lungs, orbit, mediastinum, central nervous system and neck organs) usually does not require special preparation.

Important

In Poland, ultrasound examinations are performed by nearly 8,000. doctors. It would be desirable for every specialist office to have good equipment and for the doctor to be qualified to make correct diagnoses. Unfortunately, in many cases the quality of the research leaves much to be desired. 30 percent of them have no diagnostic value. 20 percent used apparatuses should be immediately scrapped.

Where to do an ultrasound? Certificates and guarantees

- When we go to an unknown ultrasound laboratory for the first time, do not be afraid to ask about what experience the doctor has (how long does the ultrasound work) and check his certificate - advises prof. Wiesław Jakubowski, vice-president of the Polish Ultrasound Society. - The patient has the right to know if he is in good hands. After all, he usually pays for the examination, because it is still difficult to get a free ultrasound. But there is an even more important reason. Too many times I have witnessed the tragedies of people misdiagnosed because of lack of knowledge or because of outdated equipment. The most tragic mistakes occur in obstetrics. Here, misdiagnosis can even lead to the death of the baby or its mother. This is because the status of people performing ultrasound examinations in Poland is not defined by law. In the world, this problem is regulated by ministries of he alth or medical corporations. With us, anyone who buys an apparatus and has a medical diploma can set up an ultrasound room and do tests. The effects can be tragic.

That is why the PTU certificate is so important, obtained after a series of lectures and practical classes. In order to maintain it, because the certificate is not awarded for life, you need to accumulate 60 points within five years. This means attending specialist courses at least twice a year. So, when we see such a document on the wall (it should be displayed in a prominent place in the office), let's also check when it was issued. A doctor who doesn't have a valid certificate is unreliable. Better not to get tested with him.

The same principle applies to apparatus. When we go to the solarium, we check the lamp counter quite often, because when used up, we do not tan. Meanwhile, before the ultrasound examination, we are not interested in whether the equipment is operational and how long it works. And you should ask about it. Each camera comes with a five-year warranty. After this time, it must, along with all the transducers, undergo a detailed technical inspection at the Ultrasound Department of the Institute of Fundamental Technological Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Our doubts should also be raised by too low (below PLN 40) and too high (over PLN 80) prices for popular diagnostic tests (e.g. abdominal, thyroid, breast).

"Zdrowie" monthly

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