 | Ultrasound Imaging |
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1.What is General Ultrasound Imaging?
Ultrasound imaging, also called ultrasound scanning or sonography, involves exposing part of the body to high-frequency sound waves to produce pictures of the inside of the body. Ultrasound exams do not use ionizing radiation (x-ray). Because ultrasound images are captured in real-time, they can show the structure and movement of the body's internal organs, as well as blood flowing through blood vessels.
Ultrasound imaging is usually a painless medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions.
Conventional ultrasound displays the images in thin, flat sections of the body. Advancements in ultrasound technology include three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound that formats the sound wave data into 3-D images. Four-dimensional (4-D) ultrasound is 3-D ultrasound in motion.
A Doppler ultrasound study may be part of an ultrasound examination.
Doppler ultrasound is a special ultrasound technique that evaluates blood as it flows through a blood vessel, including the body's major arteries and veins in the abdomen, arms, legs and neck.
There are three types of Doppler ultrasound
2.Ultrasound is used routinely in obstetric appointments during pregnancy, but the FDA discourages its use for non-medical purposes such as fetal keepsake videos and photos, even though it is the same technology used in hospitals.
Obstetric ultrasound is primarily used to:
* Date the pregnancy (gestational age)
* Confirm fetal viability
* Determine location of fetus, intrauterine vs ectopic
* Check the location of the placenta in relation to the cervix
* Check for the number of fetuses (multiple pregnancy)
* Check for major physical abnormalities.
* Assess fetal growth (for evidence of IUGR)
* Check for fetal movement and heartbeat.
* Determine the sex of the baby
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