The name Ultrasound or ultrasound refers to a procedure that uses high-frequency sound waves to see inside the body, placing a transducer or probe on the skin with a contact gel that generates echoes.
Summary
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- 1 Definitions
- 2 Types of Ultrasounds
- 3 Preparation
- 4 Other uses of ultrasound
- 5 Sources
Definitions
- Ultrasound or ultrasound is a procedure that uses high-frequency sound waves to see inside the body, placing a transducer or probe on the skin with a contact gel that generates echoes. Ultrasound is a quick exploration, it does not bother and in which radiation is not received, nor does it have secondary effects. Some ultrasound scannersalso incorporate more specific technology to study blood vessels and be able to perform calculations based on blood flow. These scans are known as
echocardiogram
. Because it uses sound waves instead of radiation , ultrasound is safer than x- rays .
- In the medical field, devices such as the fetal Doppler are called ultrasound equipment, which uses ultrasound waves of between 2 to 3 MHz to detect the fetal heartrate inside the womb.
Types of Ultrasounds
- Normal ultrasounds: Abdominal, Urinary System (renal/vesico-prostatic), Neonatal hips, Neck (Thyroid, parotid, submaxillary), Scrotal, Mammary, Musculoskeletal (soft tissue, joint.), Obstetric (pregnancy), Ocular , Pelvic , Penis , Testicular, Transcranial , Transfontanellar or Cerebral of the newborn, Transrectal, Transvaginal.
- Abdominal ultrasound: It is a safe and painless test in which sound waves are used to obtain images of the abdomen, it is an imaging procedure used to examine the internal organs of the abdomen, including the liver, gallbladder , spleen , pancreas and kidneys . The blood vessels that go to some of these organs can also be evaluated using ultrasound, it is the best test to detect any type of abdominal pathology. It is the most complete examination that exists after the medical check-up.
- Pelvic ultrasound:This examination is used to fundamentally explore the uterus, ovaries and bladder. In men, the bladder and prostate. When greater detail of the uterus, ovary or surrounding tissues is necessary, a special study is performed with a special high-resolution transducer that, previously sterilized, is inserted through the vagina. What is the necessary preparation? You can eat normally. It is convenient to have a full bladder, so it is necessary to drink plenty of water starting one hour before and ending 30 minutes before the test, and not to urinate before carrying out the examination.
- Soft tissue ultrasound:It is used to evaluate alterations in the thyroid and parathyroid glands, breast, scrotum and testicles, and occasionally other superficial locations. The test not only allows the alterations to be visualized and characterized, but also to be used as a guide for fine-needle puncture (FNA) or biopsy of the possible alterations found in the study.
- Vascular ultrasound:It is used to evaluate the vascular structures and analyze if there are alterations such as dilations, narrowing or occlusions. The most frequently explored vessels are those of the neck, arms, legs; including arteries and/or veins, as well as the study of surgical bypasses (vascular grafts) and arteriovenous fistulas for hemodialysis.
Doppler ultrasound or ultrasound
- Transplant ultrasound:It is used to evaluate liver, kidney and pancreas transplants, checking for signs of rejection or other alterations.
- Interventional ultrasound:It encompasses a wide range of therapeutic procedures that include biopsies, cyst aspirations, drainage of liquid collections in the lung, abdomen and subcutaneous tissues, and oncological ablative techniques (tumor treatments).
- Doopler ultrasound:cervicothoracic venous Doppler, color Doppler of extremities (arterial and venous), color Doppler of supra-aortic trunks (carotids), Doppler with contrast.
- Obstetric ultrasound. It has become an increasingly important part of prenatal care, providing information that can help a doctor plan a pregnant woman’s follow-up, thereby improving the chances of a successful pregnancy .
Preparation
- If the ultrasound is abdominal, you will go on an empty stomach (at least 5 hours before the scan), being able to drink liquids that do not contain gas. You also won’t have to come with a full bladder.
- If the ultrasound is of the urinary system ( Renal-Vesical-Prostatic) or gynecological (pelvic), you will drink a liter and a half before the test (drinks without gas) and will not urinate until the end of the test.
- For the rest of the ultrasounds, no special preparation will be required.
Other uses of ultrasound
- Physiotherapy:The use of ultrasound for physiotherapy is used with high frequencies, around 1-3 MHz. The ultrasound device used generates this type of wave through the inverse piezoelectric effect, which consists of applying voltage to a crystal (the most used is quartz) to produce its deformation millions of times per second, causing vibrations that will be responsible for causing the physiological effects in the body.
- Insect repellents:They are used as insect repellents given various applications for computers and cell phones, which reproduce an acoustic wave as explained above, which annoys insects, especially mosquitoes.
- Use by animals:Some animals such as Dolphins and bats use it in a similar way to radar in their orientation. This phenomenon is known as echolocation . It is that the waves emitted by these animals are so high that they easily “bounce” off all the objects around them, this makes them create an “image” and orient themselves to where they are
