Using high-intensity sound waves, ultrasound is a noninvasive imaging technique that visualizes inside body structures. Ultrasound exams are used by medical professionals for a variety of reasons, such as pregnancy, disease diagnosis, and visual guidance during certain treatments.
What is ultrasound used for?
- Diagnostic
ultrasound
- Pregnancy
ultrasound
- Ultrasound-guided procedure
- Therapeutic
ultrasound
Diagnostic ultrasounds are medical procedures healthcare professionals use to diagnose various body issues, such as lumps, discomfort, and abnormal blood test results. The transducer, probe, is applied to the skin or inserted inside the body.
Pregnancy ultrasound ultrasonography, often known as
prenatal or obstetric ultrasonography, is a common tool healthcare
professionals use to monitor you and the developing fetus throughout
pregnancy.
Prenatal ultrasonography
is used by providers to:
- To confirm if you are expecting to become
pregnant.
- Verify whether you are carrying more than one
fetus.
- Calculate the length of your pregnancy and the
fetus's gestational age.
- Verify the location and development of the fetus.
- View the heart rate and movements of the fetus.
- Examine the fetus's brain, spinal cord, heart, and
other organs for congenital disorders or birth abnormalities.
- Verify the amniotic fluid content.
An ultrasound is advised by most medical professionals at 20 weeks pregnant. This test monitors the growth and development of the fetus throughout gestation. Moreover, the fetus's biological sex may potentially be informed by this ultrasound. If you would like to know the sex, let your technician know.
During a transvaginal ultrasound, a
medical professional
places a transducer into the vagina
and records sound waves
to provide pictures of the
fallopian tubes, ovaries, and uterus.
Ultrasound guidance for procedures ultrasound is frequently used to guide the positioning of needles while sampling tissue or fluid from:
- Tendon.
- Joints.
- Muscles.
- Cysts, or collections of fluid.
- Masses of soft tissue.
- Organs (prostate, kidney, or liver).
- Organ transplants (pancreas, kidney, or liver).
Therapeutic ultrasound uses high-intensity beams to cause tissue changes
or destruction, such as pressing, heating, breaking blood clots, or
administering medication. Its destructive capabilities are often non-invasive,
leaving no wounds or scars behind.
Ultrasonography revolutionizes medical practice with non-invasive imaging, enabling accurate
diagnosis, patient experiences, and intervention guidance. Future breakthroughs will enhance patient
outcomes and advanced treatment.
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References
professional, C.C. medical (no date) Ultrasound: What it is, purpose, procedure & results, Cleveland Clinic. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/4995-ultrasound (Accessed: 25 February 2024).
Ultrasound (2022) Mayo Clinic. Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/ultrasound/about/pac-20395177 (Accessed: 25 February 2024).
Ultrasound (no date) National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. Available at: https://www.nibib.nih.gov/science-education/science-topics/ultrasound#pid-931 (Accessed: 25 February 2024).
Ultrasound: Medlineplus medical test (no date) MedlinePlus. Available at: https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/sonogram/ (Accessed: 25 February 2024).
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