Diagnosing a disease is a complex procedure in which laboratory, instrumental and hardware methods are used. In order to accurately determine the problem, it is not always enough for a doctor to examine the patient and take an anamnesis. In this regard, ultrasound diagnostics has become very widespread. This is a harmless technique that has no contraindications. Preparing for an abdominal ultrasound is necessary to ensure that the results of the examination are as complete and accurate as possible.
General information
Accurate diagnosis is already half of successful treatment. If the doctor suspects that the patient has any diseases of the abdominal cavity, then ultrasound is most often prescribed. This is due to the fact that multiple pathologies that occur in this area have similar symptoms, often misleading. Ultrasound is the most informative diagnostic that allows the doctor to get an objective idea of the pathologies of the internal organs.patient.
What does it show?
Ultrasound diagnostics allows you to study not only parenchymal organs, but also those in which there is liquid. During the study, you can get an idea about the state of the pancreas, spleen, gallbladder and ducts, liver. Along with this, during ultrasound, the kidneys, which are located in the retroperitoneal space, are examined. It is noteworthy that with the help of such diagnostics it is possible to assess the condition of the stomach and intestines. However, given that these organs contain air, it is extremely difficult to make an accurate diagnosis. Preparation for the study (ultrasound of the abdominal cavity) must be carried out, otherwise the results may be distorted.
Thanks to such diagnostics, the exact dimensions of the internal organs, as well as their location, are established. It is necessary to check for unwanted developmental anomalies and congenital features. Ultrasound can help determine the presence of foci of inflammation, neoplasms and other dangerous changes. With the help of this study, the doctor also evaluates how well the postoperative period is going. This diagnostic method is so accurate that it can detect the presence of polyps or stones, the size of which does not exceed two to three millimeters.
Reasons for invalid data
In some patients referred for abdominal ultrasound, preparation for the study raises doubts: should it be done? Yes, and definitely! In the absence of proper preparation, the results of the studymay be distorted. The main problem that makes it difficult to make a correct diagnosis is intestinal overflow with gases. His spasms can also interfere with the study. Finally, overweight of the patient can become an obstacle to ultrasound. This is due to the fact that adipose tissue prevents sufficient penetration of the ultrasound beam.
How is it done?
With proper preparation for the study, abdominal ultrasound provides an opportunity to relatively quickly obtain reliable information required to confirm or exclude a particular diagnosis. A small amount of gel is applied to the abdomen, which facilitates the procedure. When the doctor moves the sensor over the examined area, all data is recorded and displayed on the monitor of specialized equipment.
Usually a person lies on his back. However, to complete the overall picture, the specialist may ask the patient to turn on his side (both on the right and on the left). You should also be ready to take a deep breath or, conversely, hold your breath. Usually, a comprehensive examination requires no more than 20-30 minutes. It is important to note that during this diagnosis, the patient experiences absolutely no pain or discomfort, except that the sensor may be slightly cool.
Forbidden foods
Preparation for an abdominal ultrasound involves a temporary revision of the diet. Otherwise, the procedure will have to be repeated. If there is a largeaccumulation of gases, then the probability of correct visualization of the pathology is markedly reduced. To prevent this from happening, you need to start following a certain diet a few days (2-3) before the study.
The list of temporarily prohibited products includes the following:
- Beans (peas, beans, lentils and others).
- Raw fruits and vegetables.
- Rye bread and pastries.
- Sour-milk (kefir, fermented baked milk and others).
- Various sweets.
As for drinks, you will have to give up mineral water, juices and lemonades. It is also recommended to completely abstain from alcohol.
Allowed Foods
What can I eat in preparation for an abdominal ultrasound? This question worries all conscious patients who are to undergo this study. Allowed List:
- Porridges on the water (oats, buckwheat, linseed, barley and other cereals).
- Lean meat (chicken or beef).
- Cheese.
- Soft-boiled eggs (no more than 1 per day).
- Low-fat fish.
All foods should be steamed or boiled. Also, do not forget to drink the required amount of liquid (from one and a half liters). You need to eat fractionally, and the evening meal should be as light as possible.
Colon cleansing
Sometimes, when an abdominal ultrasound is prescribed, the preparation for the study must be thorough. The doctor may prescribe a bowel cleanse for the patient. To maximize researchvalid, it needs to be freed from content. It is advisable to carry out an enema on the eve of the ultrasound in the interval from 16 to 18 hours.
For preparation, you can use Esmarch's mug. One or one and a half liters of water is enough. After the procedure, it is required to take sorbents. Alternatively, you can use microclysters. However, you should consult your doctor before taking any medication.
Special preparations
To prepare the patient for an abdominal ultrasound, the doctor may prescribe various medications. It all depends on the individual characteristics of human he alth. Recommended drugs for all age groups include:
- Infacol.
- Cuplaton.
- Espumizan.
- "Bobotik".
Before using any of the above medicines, you should carefully read the instructions. There should be a caveat regarding the use of drugs immediately before an abdominal ultrasound - as a preparation for the study.
If the patient has an individual intolerance, other medications may be prescribed. In the list of alternative drugs:
- "Smekta".
- "Festal".
- White Coal.
- Mezim.
All these medicines affect intestinal motility, helping it to clear itself in a timely manner.
It is noteworthy that in preparation for an abdominal ultrasound, some drugs should be usedit is forbidden. First of all, this applies to laxatives, which contain lactulose. You can not use medicines such as Prelaxan, Normaze or Dufalac. They can cause bloating.
Before procedure
Preparing for an ultrasound of the abdominal organs involves refusing to eat on the day of the study. Go to the doctor's office on an empty stomach. You should refuse not only food, but also drink (the only exception is an ultrasound of the bladder), if the doctor recommends it. However, there may be special requirements. For example, in some cases, to conduct a study of the gallbladder, the doctor may recommend eating a few tablespoons of sour cream or vegetable oil on an empty stomach.
It is worth noting that such examinations are scheduled not only for the morning hours, but also for the afternoon. If the ultrasound is planned to be carried out only after 15:00, then in the morning you can afford a small portion of light food. However, you should not be self-willed, it is still better to coordinate this issue with your doctor.
In children
Little patients are also prescribed an abdominal ultrasound. Preparation for the study in this case has its own characteristics. Children under the age of 15 may not follow a special diet 3 days before their scheduled procedure.
- Up to a year. You can feed the baby once a day of the procedure. One hour before the examination, you should stop giving him water.
- Up to 3 years. You can not eat 4 hours before the ultrasound. Stop drinking liquidsone hour before the procedure.
- Up to 14 years old. You should begin to refrain from eating 6-8 hours before the study. You must stop drinking at least an hour before it.
When an abdominal ultrasound is scheduled for a child, the preparation should be carefully supervised by the parents. Deviation from the recommendations of the doctor may lead to the fact that the study will have to be repeated.
What else could skew the results
Unobvious mistakes can be made when preparing for an abdominal ultrasound. So, for example, the patient could follow all the recommendations, but in the morning on the day of the study, he began to have flatulence. In this situation, a cleansing enema should be given, as the diagnosis will be unreliable.
Smoking is strictly prohibited on the day of the ultrasound. This is due to the fact that smoke very often causes an incorrect or fuzzy image. So, just one small cigarette can lead to the fact that you have to redo the preparation for an abdominal ultrasound. The memo is given to the patient for a reason, he must carefully read it.
Don't eat lollipops or chew gum before the test. You should begin to refrain from them at least two hours before the procedure. Gum and lozenges have a strong effect on digestion.
If an x-ray examination with a contrast agent was performed the day before, this can also distort the data obtained during the ultrasound. It is necessary to inform the doctor about this and wait a few days. ATOtherwise, the contrast agent may interfere with the ultrasound and distort the results.
During preparation for an abdominal ultrasound in adults and children, antispasmodics should not be taken. Means drugs such as "Papazol", "Spazmalgon", "No-shpa", "Dibazol", "Papaverine" and others. This may skew the results of the study. If it is not possible to stop taking these drugs for medical reasons, then it is imperative that you tell your doctor.
Absolute indications for conduction
A patient should not refuse an abdominal ultrasound if they have the following alarming symptoms:
- Frequent abdominal pain.
- Problems after an abdominal injury.
- Taste of bitterness in the mouth.
- Excessive gas production.
- Heaviness and pain in the right hypochondrium.
Also, ultrasound diagnostics is assigned to people who are preparing for upcoming operations. Patients with chronic diseases should have regular ultrasound scans, at least once every six months.
Conclusion
The reader already knows how to properly prepare for an abdominal ultrasound. The memo that is given to patients usually contains answers to all questions. In order for the data obtained during the study to be as reliable as possible, it is necessary to strictly follow all the recommendations of the doctor. If there are results of previous ultrasound diagnostics, then you should definitely take them withyourself. This will help the attending physician track the dynamics of changes.
