Abdominal imaging

Question 1

What’s a KUB?

Answer 1

imaging for kidney, ureter, bladder

Question 2

What should you order with
* abdominal distention
* abdominal pain
* prolonged vomiting or diarrhea
* ab trauma
* abnormal PE findings
* screening exam prior to other imaging?

Answer 2

KUB

Question 3

What’s the most common imaging to view the abdomen?

Answer 3

CT

Question 4

What are contra-indications of contrast?

Answer 4

allergy, nephropathy (creatinine less than or equal to 1.5 is needed)

Question 5

What is the type of CT scan with contrast that is timed so that it will highlight arteries or veins of interest?

Answer 5

CT angiogram - ATAA, TAVR

Question 6

When you see obliquely or horizontally oriented row of small gas bubbles in the abdomen, what is the sign, and what does it indicate?

Answer 6

string of pearls -> obstruction and fluid and gas are trapped

Question 7

When do the haustra not cross the lumen of the bowel and account for only 20% of all bowel obstructions?

Answer 7

large bowel obstruction

Question 8

What’s the chief cause of pneumoperitoneum?

Answer 8

duodenal ulcers

Question 9

T/F: GI tract permitting air to escape into the peritoneum is a surgical emergency

Answer 9

true!

Question 10

What is it called when the gastroesophageal junction is pulled above the diaphragm?

Answer 10

hiatal hernia (SLIDING type is most common)

Question 11

What are symptoms of a hiatal hernia?

Answer 11

reflux, upright position often reduces hernia temporarily

Question 12

What are you looking for when assessing for colon cancer?

Answer 12

apple core –> irregular luminal thickening

Question 13

What’s an x-ray exam that can detect changes or abnormalities in the large intestine?

Answer 13

barium enema

Question 14

When wanting to assess the anatomy of the large bowel and terminal ileum, what imaging should you recommend?

Answer 14

barium enema but it is not reliable for diagnosis of pathology