Ultrasonography

Question 1

what is ultrasound?

Answer 1

sound waves with frequencies higher than the human audible range, upper limit is 20kHz

Question 2

what is the pulse echo principle?

Answer 2

• ultrasound probe emits sound waves & then receive echoes from the original wave
• when it passes through tissue boundary, can be reflected back or will pass through & continue propagating
• adjacent tissues with varying densities will reflect more of the sound waves, e.g. air and lungs

Question 3

fluid in ultrasound

Answer 3

dark

Question 4

bone/gas in ultrasound

Answer 4

white

Question 5

soft tissue in ultrasound

Answer 5

grey

Question 6

uses of ultrasound

Answer 6

• widely accessible
• results can be seen immediately; bedside
• ‘real time’ imaging
• usually non invasive
• no documented side effects in humans
• no radiation

Question 7

disadvantages of ultrasound

Answer 7

• training is resource intensive

- effectiveness & accuracy is operator dependent

Question 8

12 week obstetrics scan

Answer 8

• first scan offered to low risk pregnancies

- detects viability, no. of fetes’s, abnormalities, morphology of ovaries, gestational age of fetus

Question 9

downs syndrome screening

Answer 9

fetal nuchal translucency uses ultrasound to measure the size of the nuchal pad at the nape of fetal

Question 10

20 week obstetrics scan

Answer 10

identify abnormalities which could indicate life-threatening condition, e.g. spina bifida

• placenta localisation
• fetal biometry
• fibroid monitoring

Question 11

achondroplasia

Answer 11

20 week scan abnormality

• bowing of long bones
• thickened soft tissue surrounding long bones

Question 12

low lying placenta

Answer 12

20 week scan abnormality

• measure the distance from the lowest edge of the placenta to the internal os of the cervix
• if placenta is too close closer to the due date, may need a C-section

Question 13

talipes (club foot)

Answer 13

20 week scan abnormality

- can see foot turned up

Question 14

Anhydraminos

Answer 14

Anhydramnios is a condition affecting pregnant women in which there is no amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus.

Question 15

Polyhydraminos

Answer 15

Excess of amniotic fluid in the amniotic sac

Question 16

Umbilical Artery Doppler Assessment

Answer 16

Can be used to highlight the affects of pre-eclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR)

Question 17

Ectopic pregnancy

Answer 17

egg implanting outside of the uterine tube: ectopic pregnancy
severe pain & bleeding

Question 18

Dichorionic

Answer 18

Twins that develop in separate sacs

Question 19

Monochorionic

Answer 19

Twins sharing the same placenta

Question 20

Fibroids

Answer 20

fibrous muscular tissue, many eventually grow until the
blood supply they receive can no longer support further growth, but others can get very large and require surgical interventions ( myomectomy / uterine
embolisation / hysterectomy)

Question 21

Uterine polyps

Answer 21

Growths from the inner wall of the womb, could turn cancerous

Question 22

which organs can the abdominal ultrasounds monitor?

Answer 22

liver, kidneys, aorta, pancreas, spleen, gallbladder

Question 23

aortic screening

Answer 23

section of abdominal aorta is aneurysmal when reaching 3cm in diameter

Question 24

gallstones

Answer 24

imbalance of chemical make up within bile in the gallbladder

Question 25

urinary tract ultrasound

Answer 25

• polycystic kidney disease
• enlarged prostate
• renal calculi

Question 26

testicular ultrasound

Answer 26

• varicocele: enlargement of veins in the scrotum
• hydrocele: fluid collects in the thin sheath surrounding the testicle
• testicular cancer
• simple cyst

Question 27

breast ultrasound

Answer 27

Under the age of 35 breast tissue tends to be denser, this leads to difficulty with diagnosing the nature of breast lumps on mammograms as differentiation between solid and fluid filled areas is relatively poor, ultrasound can make the differentiation at an improved rate (about 30% increased)

Question 28

vascular DVT

Answer 28

ultrasound used to confirm the presence of DVT

Question 29

musculo-skeletal ultrasound

Answer 29

• muscle/tendon tears
• inflammation
• cysts
• hernias

Question 30

FAST

Answer 30

• point of care ultrasound

- undertaken at the time of the presentation of a trauma patient