General Ultrasound

In medical practice, general ultrasound has multiple applications in a large variety of anatomy and pathology. Ultrasound can be used to examine internal organs of the abdominal and pelvic cavity including the liver, kidneys, gallbladder, uterus and ovaries.

General Ultrasound is also recognised as appropriate for numerous obstetric application, such as dating of pregnancies, Nuchal Translucency assessment, morphology scans and growth scans.

The use of ultrasound to assess musculoskeletal anatomy and pathology is well documented, and has the advantage of dynamic real time scanning to assess anatomy such as the rotator cuff, while the patient is performing specific movements. 

Interventional ultrasound including injections can also be guided by ultrasound to ensure correct placement of the injection.

Specialist vascular ultrasound including Doppler ultrasound is extensively used to assess veins and arteries including the presence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), venous incompetency and carotid plaque.

A general ultrasound examination uses a machine which produces ultrasound (ie sound at a range above the range of human hearing) which is pointed at the organs of the body and which gives information about the organs of the body. A computer uses this information to create images of the organs of the body. The ultrasound is produced by a transducer probe which is placed on the skin.

Ultrasound is considered to be a relatively safe examination. It does not use ionising radiation. It does not use iodine contrast agents.

An ultrasound transducer probe is placed on the skin over the organs to be tested. There will be clear gel applied between the transducer probe and the skin to improve the images obtained. 

The transducer does not hurt when it touches the skin, although the sonographer may have to press quite firmly to obtain optimal images. If you are unable to tolerate this pressure for whatever reason, please let the sonographer know.

The first step in the process is for us to find out what is on the request form that your doctor gave you for this test. This may involve you coming into our rooms and showing our front desk staff the form. Or you can fax or email the form to us on our contact page.

Or maybe you can read out what is on the form over the phone to one of our front desk staff. We need to know what kind of test is requested, what part of the body the test is requested for and what the problem is.

There are two types of ultrasound, diagnostic and interventional. Diagnostic ultrasounds are commonly performed during pregnancy to monitor fetal development. Ultrasound is also used to guide doctors during biopsies and other procedures. Interventional ultrasounds are done to guide doctors when performing amniocentesis and biopsies. These procedures are done under ultrasound guidance to ensure accuracy.

It would help if you fasted for 4-6 hours before the ultrasound. A light breakfast or lunch is recommended.

Please wear comfortable clothes without any zippers, snaps, or hooks on them.

General ultrasound imaging, also known as ultrasound or sonography, is a noninvasive imaging modality that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce real-time images of the body’s soft tissues. Ultrasound exams do not use ionizing radiation (x-ray).