Ultrasonography Procedures Flashcards

Ultrasonography Overview

• Noninvasive imaging technique used to visualize organ structures without radiation exposure.
• Ideal for patients who cannot tolerate x-rays; supports diagnosis and management plans.

Mechanism

• Utilizes sound waves that interact with body tissues, sending echoes back to a transducer for image creation.

Advantages

• Offers real-time data and accurate diagnostics.
• Enhances organ evaluations, providing a more realistic prognosis, particularly useful in cardiac studies.

Disadvantages

• Initial setup can be costly; requires extensive training to master.
• Procedure often necessitates shaving the animal and has limitations with air or bone penetration.

Equipment Variants

• Available in various models: cart models, handheld, and laptops.

Quality Determinants

• Image quality relies on software, transducers, computer processors, and monitor specifications.

Transducer Functionality

• Transducers send electrical pulses and receive echoes to create imaging.

Frequency Probes

• High-frequency probes offer better detail but shallower penetration.
• Low-frequency probes allow deeper penetration but with reduced detail.

Types of Transducers

• Linear: Flat surface, prone to artifacts.
• Convex: Provides a wider view for general scans.
• Microconvex: Suitable for smaller patients, has a reduced footprint.
• Phased Array Sector: Used in cardiac studies through timed sequences.
• Matrix: Generates 3-D images, scans multiple planes simultaneously.

Patient Preparation

• Patients can be positioned laterally, ventrally, or standing.
• Requires shaving, cleaning the area, applying coupling gel, fasting, maintaining a full bladder, and removing bandages.

Modes of Ultrasound

• A-mode: One-dimensional imaging, the earliest form.
• B-mode: Two-dimensional, real-time imaging using echo dots and pixels.
• M-mode: Displays organ motion over a baseline.

Doppler Ultrasound Types

• Measures blood flow velocity; variants include color flow, power color, pulse wave, and continuous wave.

Key Technical Concepts

• Gain: Adjusts brightness settings for various tissues.
• Depth Control: Affects how much tissue is displayed in images.
• Time Gain Compensation: Alters brightness at different tissue depths.
• Attenuation: Loss of sound echoes as depth increases.
• Scatter: Sound waves may deviate direction upon hitting body surfaces.
• Absorption: Sound energy absorbed by tissues instead of being reflected.

Echogenicity

• Comparison of echogenic features between body parts.
• Terms describing echogenicity:
  • Less echogenic: Darker appearance (lower echoes).
  • More echogenic: Lighter appearance (higher echoes).
  • Sonolucent: Dark gray, fewer echoes.
  • Anechoic: Black, no echoes.
  • Hypoechoic: Darker, less sound returning compared to surroundings.
  • Hyperechoic: Lighter, more sound returning compared to surroundings.
  • Isoechoic: No color change detected.

Artifacts

• Factors impacting ultrasound quality include hair, gel application, and environmental influences.

Specific Organ Ultrasound Applications

• Liver: Detects vascular structures and abnormalities (e.g., inflammation, fatty changes).
• Gallbladder: Assessed for fluid presence as it is not visible on x-ray.
• Spleen: Evaluated for ruptures and tumors; changes in echogenicity signal issues.
• Pancreas: Investigated for pancreatitis and masses.
• GI Tract: Examined for wall thickness and foreign bodies.
• Kidneys and Adrenal Glands: Assessed for masses and crystal presence; significant changes indicate issues.
• Prostate: Requires a full bladder for examination; looks for cysts and tumors.
• Bladder: Useful for cystos, chronic issues, and identifying masses.
• Reproductive Tract: Monitored in pregnant patients and for detecting ovarian issues.
• Eyes: Evaluated for retinal detachment or blood presence.
• Extremities: Examination focuses below carpus and tarsus in horses.

Alternative Imaging Techniques

• Fluoroscopy: Continuous radiation to observe motility or catheter placement.
• Computed Tomography (CT): Uses radiation for cross-sectional imaging, applied in scenarios involving the brain and spinal cord.
• Nuclear Scintigraphy: Injects nuclear substance to visualize activity in organs (e.g., thyroid, bones, liver).
• MRI: Non-radiative imaging using magnetic fields to read body radio frequencies.

Test your knowledge on ultrasonography with these flashcards. Explore key concepts such as how ultrasonography works, its advantages, and its applications in noninvasive procedures. Perfect for healthcare students and professionals alike.