Problems with the digestive organs in modern man, unfortunately, are very common. This is due to the fast rhythm of life, malnutrition and low physical activity. Mostly people complain of heartburn, abdominal pain, flatulence, heaviness, nausea (sometimes with vomiting). With such symptoms, the doctor may prescribe an ultrasound of the liver and gallbladder. How to prepare for the study is usually told in a medical institution, but these rules are so simple that, if desired, it is easy to learn them on your own and remember them for the future.
Why is an ultrasound of the gallbladder and abdominal organs prescribed?
Ultrasound is an informative study to evaluate the functions of many organs. It does not bring discomfort or pain, it is performed quickly, and the result is ready immediately after the procedure. With symptoms of gastroenterological diseasespatients are often prescribed ultrasound of the gallbladder. How to prepare for the study, and with what symptoms is it carried out? The main rule is to perform the procedure on an empty stomach, but in each case there are individual nuances.
Indications for this type of ultrasound in adults:
- abdominal pain on the right side;
- taste of bitterness in the mouth;
- frequent nausea or vomiting;
- coloring the skin yellow;
- abdominal injury;
- gallbladder or liver surgery.
It is important to know how to properly prepare for an ultrasound of the gallbladder so that it is as informative as possible. Children are examined in the same cases, as well as in case of prematurity, suspected congenital anomalies in the development of internal organs, and simply for preventive purposes.
Ultrasound of the liver and gallbladder: how to prepare for the study?
If the ultrasound is performed in the morning, the patient should arrive at the medical center on an empty stomach. On the eve, it is better to give preference to a light dinner without fatty and fried foods. You can drink plain water in a small amount on the day of the examination. If a person is assigned several studies of the digestive organs on the same day (for example, fibrogastroduodenoscopy or irrigoscopy), then ultrasound is performed in front of them. This is due to the fact that during endoscopic procedures, air is specially pumped into the stomach and intestines of a person for better visualization.
In addition to dietary restrictions, it is advisable to refrain from smoking before the study. Nicotine and other toxic constituents of tobacco smoke slightly narrow the bile ducts, and this can affect the results of an ultrasound of the gallbladder. How to prepare for the study if it is scheduled for the afternoon? In this case, it is enough to pause in meals for 5-6 hours.
Is it important to eat in the days before the study?
The diet of a person a couple of days before the ultrasound can affect the reliability of the procedure, so it is better to follow a certain diet during this period. It consists in the rejection of products that increase gas formation. These include:
- legumes;
- black bread;
- cabbage;
- milk and dairy products;
- high sugar fruits (grapes, melon, banana);
- carbonated soft drinks;
- alcohol;
- strong black tea and coffee.
For the same purpose, it is necessary to reduce the consumption of sweets, and it is better to drink all drinks without adding sugar. This will help the doctor to conduct an ultrasound of the gallbladder as informatively as possible. How to prepare if the patient is a child? The general principles remain the same, but age-specific features must be taken into account.
Preparing young and middle-aged children
Small children cannot always endure the feeling of hunger, besides, there is no urgent need for this before an ultrasound for them. If the child's age is between 12 and 36months, it is enough for him not to eat 4 hours before the study and not to drink water for about 1 hour. Older children should refrain from snacking 6-8 hours and not drinking 60 minutes before the procedure. Parents should definitely take food and some kind of drink for the child to the medical center so that after the diagnosis, he can eat.
What to do if the doctor has ordered a comprehensive examination of the abdominal organs? How to prepare for an ultrasound of the gallbladder, pancreas, liver, spleen? In the same way - to come, having endured the necessary break in eating. Do not forget about the menu correction a couple of days before the ultrasound. For any type of such studies, you need to take with you the previous conclusions. This will allow the doctor to pay special attention to problem areas and track changes in the child's condition.
An ultrasound of the gallbladder: how to prepare for an infant?
Newborn babies cannot be tested on an empty stomach. Therefore, if the doctor has prescribed a similar diagnostic procedure, you need to pause for about 2 hours from the last meal. If the baby is breastfed, this interval may be slightly reduced (approximately 30 minutes) as breast milk is digested faster than adapted formulas.
Ultrasound with choleretic breakfast - features of the procedure
In case of violations of the functional activity of the gallbladder or suspicion of this, the patient may be recommended an ultrasound scan with a choleretic breakfast. It allows you to study in detailthe activity of the organ and assess the presence of pathologies in it.
First, the study is carried out on an empty stomach, after which the patient needs to eat a choleretic breakfast. It can be 2 raw yolks, drinking yogurt or a glass of sour cream. Repeated ultrasounds are performed 5, 20 and 45 minutes after a meal. The patient may be asked to roll onto their side, back, stand up or sit down for better visualization.
Some children fidget on the couch during the examination because they are tickled by the machine's sensor. Usually this does not prevent the doctor from considering everything, because it is important not to lie so still during the procedure, how to prepare for an ultrasound of the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, so that there is not too much air in the abdominal cavity. In the case of children, this task falls entirely on the shoulders of the parents.
Should I take carminatives?
Due to increased gas formation, the result of the study may be distorted, since it will be difficult for the doctor to examine the internal organs of the patient in detail. If a person does not suffer from frequent constipation, intestinal colic and bloating, usually a special diet is enough to reduce the manifestations of flatulence before ultrasound of the liver and gallbladder. How to prepare the patient if he has a tendency to such pathological conditions? You can take a day before the examination special means that have a carminative effect.
These are harmless drugs based on simethicone and similar substances. The agent does not enter into biochemical reactions inbody, it acts physically by lowering surface tension. As a result, the air bubbles formed in the intestine merge with each other and burst, and the person feels relieved. The medicine is so safe that it is prescribed even for newborns with intestinal colic.
Ultrasound Safety
Ultrasound is one of the safest and most painless types of examinations in medicine. To date, there is not a single proven fact of harm from this diagnostic procedure for humans. If necessary, it can be performed immediately after the birth of the child, including an ultrasound of the gallbladder, how to prepare for which is described above.
This procedure is prescribed even for pregnant women (at all terms), which also indicates a minimal risk of negative effects on the body. The study is informative and painless, which is important in the diagnosis of childhood diseases.
You can get the most objective results of the study only by knowing how to prepare for an ultrasound scan of the liver, gallbladder, pancreas and other abdominal organs. Simple rules will save the patient time and money that he could spend on a second procedure.
