67. ULTRASOUNDS

Question 1

1. What do Ultrasounds allow for?

Answer 1

THEY ALLOW FOR:
- the visualisation
- and examination
- of different anatomical parts of the body

Question 2

2. What do Ultrasounds make use of?

Answer 2

• they make use of high frequency sound waves
• these are usually above 220 kHz
• there is no ionising radiation

Question 3

3. Where are the high frequency waves emitted from?

Answer 3

• they are emitted from a probe
• they go directly into the body

Question 4

4. What do all the different diagnostic Ultrasound techniques involve?

Answer 4

• they involve the detection and display of acoustic
  energy
• this energy is reflected off of different tissues within
  the body

Question 5

5. What do different body structures have?

Answer 5

• they have different properties
• these scatter and reflect sound energy in predictable
  ways

NB:
- this is what makes it possible to recognise different
structures

Question 6

6. How do we estimate the length of the object?

Answer 6

• it is based on the time taken for the wave to go into the
  body
• go to the target
• and then come back out again

Question 7

7. What is one of the main fields of Medicine that makes use of Diagnostic ultrasounds?

Answer 7

• Obstetrics
• this is because it is very safe

Question 8

8. What technique can be used to detect and display flow parameters?

Answer 8

• Ultrasounds
• this helps to avoid the use of other invasive techniques

NB:
- this makes Ultrasounds particularly useful for Vascular
imaging

Question 9

9. Out of all the other different imaging techniques, what are Ultrasounds heavily affected by?

Answer 9

• they are heavily influenced by the skill of the operator
• and their experience

THIS IS BECAUSE:
- these operators need to find the right angles
- they need to ensure the sound waves are
perpendicular to the object that is being analysed

Question 10

10. What kind of procedure is an Ultrasound?

Answer 10

• it is an outpatient procedure

Question 11

11. Where are Ultrasounds often administered?

Answer 11

• Ultrasound exams are usually administered in the
  hospital’s radiology or imaging department
• it is done in a small, equipped room
• it can also be done in the doctor’s office

Question 12

12. Explain what the Ultrasound procedure is like?

Answer 12

1. THE PATIENT IS RECLINED
   
   • on the examination table
2. THE PHYSICIAN OR MEDICAL TECHNICIAN
   
   • applies a cell coated Transducer
3. THE GEL MAKES GOOD CONTACT WITH THE PROBE
   HEAD
   
   • this excludes all the air between the body and the
     probe
4. THE EXAM IS GENERALLY PAINLESS
   
   • the only sensation that does exist is when the gel and
     the transducer head are pressed to the skin

Question 13

13. What is the name of the medical practitioner that conducts the Ultrasound?

Answer 13

• they are the Sonographer

Question 14

14. What is the purpose of the gel that exists between the Transducer and the skin?

Answer 14

• it ensures that the sound waves do not interact with
  the air
• this ensures the sound waves do not refract
• this means that all the sound waves will pass into the
  human body

Question 15

15. How do we display the images that we obtain from an Ultrasound scanner?

Answer 15

• we obtain them as white-on-black images
• they are shown on a Television monitor
• we can see the organs in real time

Question 16

16. What is the advantage of the images obtained from Ultrasounds?

Answer 16

• we an preserve them on Videotapes
• they can also be printed for later review