Abdominal Ultrasound

What does a patient need to do to prepare for an abdominal ultrasound exam?

Abdominal, limited abdominal and aorta (AAA) studies require that the patient ingest no food or drink for eight hours prior to the exam. This allows for proper evaluation of the gallbladder and also minimizes bowel gas that may obscure the visualization of other abdominal organs. Patients may drink a small amount of water for needed medications and, if diabetic, may eat as necessary to maintain proper blood sugar levels.    

What will happen during the exam?

The abdominal ultrasound will be performed by a staff sonographer. He or she will coat the transducer with a coupling gel to facilitate movement of the probe and maximize image quality. Patients may feel some pressure but no pain. The entire exam takes approximately 30 to 60 minutes depending on the clinical question asked.  

Radiologyinfo.org for Patients

The radiology information resource for patients. RadiologyInfo.org tells you how various X-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound, radiation therapy and other procedures are performed. It also addresses what you may experience and how to prepare for the exams. The website contains over 200 procedure, exam and disease descriptions covering diagnostic and interventional radiology, nuclear medicine, radiation therapy and radiation safety and is updated frequently with new information. All material on the RadiologyInfo.org website is reviewed and approved by experts in the field of radiology from the ACR and RSNA, as well as other professional radiology organizations.

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