ultrasound test

ultrasound is a test that uses reflected sound waves to produce an image of organs and other structures in the body. it does not use x-rays or other types of possibly harmful radiation.

for ultrasound testing, gel or oil is applied to the skin to help transmit the sound waves. a small, hand-held instrument called a transducer is passed back and forth over the area of the body that is being examined. the transducer sends out high-pitched sound waves (above the range of human hearing) that are reflected back to the transducer. a computer analyzes the reflected sound waves and converts them into a picture that is displayed on a tv screen. the picture produced by ultrasound is called a sonogram, echogram, or ultrasound scan. pictures or videos of the ultrasound images may be made for a permanent record.

ultrasound is most useful for looking at organs and structures that are either uniform and solid (such as the liver) or fluid-filled (such as the gallbladder). mineralized structures (such as bones) or air-filled organs (such as the lungs) do not show up well on a sonogram.

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ultrasound test

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