Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Essential Information About Ultrasound Kansas City Residents Need To Know

By Andrea Davidson


The main building blocks of making a medical diagnosis are patient history and physical examination. The emergence of ultrasound imaging has improved diagnostic processes by making it possible for medical practitioners to have a clear view of affected organs and soft tissues. The information obtained is used to determine the size, shape and consistency of these structures. There are certain things about ultrasound Kansas City residents need to know.

These tests are performed trained technicians such as sonographers. The information is usually transmitted instantly on a computer screen where the images of the internal structures are displayed. These technicians are able to give a rough interpretation of the images which are useful for examination. Radiologists are able to give detailed interpretation of this report.

Ultrasound imaging has numerous uses in medicine. In pregnancy, it is used to determine due dates, to rule out ectopic pregnancies and to reveal the presence of twins or any multiples. It is a valuable screening tool in the detection of potential birth problems such as birth defects, breech positioning, placental issues, among others. It allows expectant mothers to learn the sex of their babies midway through a pregnancy. Doctors can use ultrasounds to estimate the size of a baby before delivery.

It is applied in the diagnosis of a wide variety of conditions affecting soft tissues and organs in the body. These include blood, heart, kidneys, ovaries, eyes, thyroid among others. There are several diagnostic limitations of ultrasounds. Sound waves are unable to effectively transmit through dense bones or other parts of the body that contain air or gas such as the bowel.

There are certain medical procedures that require a high level of precision. These include procedures such as needle biopsies in which doctors remove tissues from a specific area inside the body for testing purposes. Several blood vessel diseases are detected using this test. Medical practitioners are able to predict the potential risk for stroke by measuring the rate of blood flow and blockage using ultrasound. It also helps to detect abnormal dilation and to predict the risk of rapture.

There are no risks associated with this test. Ultrasounds are generally painless and no incisions, needles or injections are required. Patients are not exposed to harmful effects such as ionizing radiation making it safer than CT scans and X-rays. It is more powerful and captures better images of soft tissues that other methods are unable to capture. It is also less expensive and widely accessible.

Basic preparation is required prior to the test. Depending on the test to be performed, the doctor may give special instructions. These may include not eating or drinking anything for a certain period before the test. It is important to wear comfortable clothing to allow the technician to access the body area easily. A typical session takes between thirty minutes and one hour.

Scientific research has led to major developments in this technology. The services of ultrasound Kansas City residents receive allow them to get treatment for some conditions that are difficult to detect using traditional diagnostic procedures. 3D imaging provides detailed images and 4D ultrasounds generate moving 3D images. Doppler helps to examine the flow of blood in vessels, bone sonography helps in the detection of osteoporosis and echocardiograms are useful in obtaining images of the heart.




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