Radiology

Most ultrasound examinations are done using an ultrasound device outside your body, though some involve placing a small device inside your body.

Why it's done

Ultrasound is used for many reasons, including to:

• View the uterus and ovaries during pregnancy and monitor the developing baby's health
• Diagnose gallbladder disease
• Evaluate blood flow
• Guide a needle for biopsy or tumour treatment
• Examine a breast lump
• Check the thyroid gland
• Find genital and prostate problems
• Assess joint inflammation (synovitis)
• Evaluate metabolic bone disease

Why it's done

Your doctor may recommend a CT scan to help:

• Diagnose muscle and bone disorders, such as bone tumors and fractures
• Pinpoint the location of a tumor, infection or blood clot
• Guide procedures such as surgery, biopsy and radiation therapy
• Detect and monitor diseases and conditions such as cancer, heart disease, lung nodules and liver masses
• Monitor the effectiveness of certain treatments, such as cancer treatment
• Detect internal injuries and internal bleeding

What you can expect

You can have a CT scan done at Chisty Shifa Clinic. CT scans are painless and, with newer machines, take only a few minutes. The whole process typically takes about 30 minutes.

During the procedure

CT scanners are shaped like a large doughnut standing on its side. You lie on a narrow, motorised table that slides through the opening into a tunnel. Straps and pillows may be used to help you stay in position. During a head scan, the table may be fitted with a special cradle that holds your head still.

While the table moves you into the scanner, detectors and the X-ray tube rotate around you. Each rotation yields several images of thin slices of your body. You may hear buzzing and whirring noises.

A technologist in a separate room can see and hear you. You will be able to communicate with the technologist via intercom. The technologist may ask you to hold your breath at certain points to avoid blurring the images.

After the procedure

After the exam you can return to your normal routine. If you were given contrast material, you may receive special instructions. After the scan, you'll likely be told to drink lots of fluids to help your kidneys remove the contrast material from your body.

Why it's done

An abdominal ultrasound is done to see the blood vessels and organs in the belly area. Your health care provider may recommend this test if you have a condition affecting any of these body areas:

• Blood vessels in the abdomen
• Gallbladder
• Intestines
• Kidneys
• Liver
• Pancreas
• Spleen

For example, an abdominal ultrasound can help determine the cause of stomach pain or bloating. It can help check for kidney stones, liver disease, tumors and many other conditions. Your provider may recommend this test if you're at risk of an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

A one-time abdominal aortic ultrasound screening is recommended for men ages 65 to 75 who have smoked at least 100 cigarettes during their lifetimes.

Screening is also recommended for men age 60 and older who have or had a parent or sibling with aortic aneurysm. It's otherwise unclear if men who have never smoked may benefit from such screening.
Routine ultrasound screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms isn't recommended for women.

How you prepare

Your health care provider or radiology department will provide specific instructions.

You usually need to avoid food and drinks for 8 to 12 hours before an abdominal ultrasound. This is called fasting. Fasting helps prevent gas buildup in the belly area, which could affect the results.

Ask your provider if it's OK to drink water before the test. Don't stop taking any medications unless your provider tells you to do so.

What you can expect

Before the procedure

Before the abdominal ultrasound, you may be asked to:

• Change into a hospital gown
• Remove any jewellery
• Store valuables in a locker near the exam room

During the procedure

For an abdominal ultrasound, you lie on your back on an examination table. A trained care provider applies a special gel to your belly area. The gel works with the ultrasound device to provide better images.

The provider gently presses the device against the belly, moving it back and forth. The device sends signals to a computer. The computer creates images that show how blood flows through the structures in the belly area.

An abdominal ultrasound exam takes about 30 minutes to complete.

After the procedure

You should be able to return to regular activities immediately after an abdominal ultrasound.

An intravenous pyelogram is an X-ray exam of the urinary tract. Also called an excretory urogram, this exam allows your care team to see the parts of your urinary tract and how well they work.

This test can help with diagnosis of problems such as kidney stones, enlarged prostate, urinary tract tumors or problems present at birth.

During the test, an X-ray dye is injected into a vein in your arm. The dye flows into the kidneys, ureters and bladder, outlining each of these structures. X-ray pictures are taken at specific times during the exam.

Why it's done

You may need an intravenous pyelogram if you have symptoms, such as back or side pain or blood in the urine, that could mean you have a problem in your urinary tract.

This test can help your doctor diagnose certain conditions, such as:

• Kidney stones.
• Enlarged prostate.
• Urinary tract tumors.
• Problems with the structure of the kidneys, such as medullary sponge kidney. This condition is present at birth and affects the tiny tubes inside the kidneys.

Intravenous pyelogram was often used to check for urinary tract problems. But newer imaging tests, including ultrasound exams and CT scans, take less time and don't need X-ray dye. These newer tests are now more common.

But an intravenous pyelogram still can be a helpful tool for your health care provider to:

• Find problems with structures in the urinary tract.
• Detecting kidney stones.
• Show a blockage, also called an obstruction, in the urinary tract.