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Why do abdominal ultrasounds need to be done on an empty stomach? How to properly prepare for an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity. Do I need to take medication and go on a diet. Why preparation before an abdominal ultrasound is important

In this article I want to talk about the proper preparation before the study of organs. abdominal cavity.

After all, if you come unprepared for the procedure, then the quality of monitoring will be low, and the results will not be reliable.

Therefore, I decided to write this article. Save it to your bookmarks so you don't lose it.

  • Remember! The procedure should be carried out on an empty stomach. This means that you should not eat, drink water or other liquids 8-12 hours before your appointment. Responding to the production of gastric juice, gallbladder contracts and releases bile. It is pointless to explore this organ in a half-empty or empty state - its structure, content and form are visualized only under conditions of full filling.
  • The opinion of experts on the optimal time for the procedure varies - some gastroenterologists insist on the morning hours of the examination, since this ensures the maximum interval between meals and ultrasound. In addition, in the afternoon, due to the reflex release of a small amount of hydrochloric acid by the stomach, the gallbladder contracts even in the absence of the usual diet, which is the main argument in favor of morning ultrasound procedures. Other doctors allow the study to be carried out in the afternoon as well, subject to a light early breakfast and subsequent refusal to eat until the end of the manipulation.
  • Smokers should refrain from cigarettes before the procedure. Nicotine can also cause a partial contraction of the gallbladder.
  • Chewing gum should not be consumed before a doctor's appointment - the secretion of gastric juice stimulates the contraction of the gallbladder.
  • If you are taking medication, you should clarify the time of the ultrasound. The ideal option is to take medication after the early examination procedure is over. Otherwise, the interval between taking medication and the examination should be at least 6-8 hours. If you are taking drugs that stimulate the activity of the digestive tract, the need to take them on the eve of an ultrasound scan should be agreed with your doctor.
  • It is forbidden to take antispasmodics and painkillers until the end of the ultrasound examination.

It is impossible to carry out after some diagnostic procedures (on the same day):

  • Endoscopic examinations (FGDS, colonoscopy) - the air that enters the stomach and intestines during manipulation makes it difficult to pass ultrasound and monitor the gastrointestinal tract. Ultrasound is allowed only 1-2 days after the examination.
  • X-ray contrast studies (irrigoscopy, gastrophagy, CT or MRI with contrast) - a contrast agent, visualized on an ultrasound machine, distorts the observation picture. It takes about 2-3 days to remove the contrast agent, after which it is possible to carry out the ultrasound procedure of the internal organs.

Diet before abdominal ultrasound

The purpose of the diet before ultrasound is to minimize the intensity of fermentation processes in the intestines. Air is a kind of barrier to the propagation of ultrasound, and accumulations of gases can significantly complicate the transmission of accurate information to the sensor from the organ under study.

In this case, the specialist has the right to postpone the procedure to another day, due to additional preparation of the patient's intestines, or to carry out monitoring, the accuracy of which will be very doubtful.

During the diet, foods that increase gas formation should be excluded from the diet:

  • vegetables and fruits;
  • legumes;
  • milk and dairy products;
  • flour products and sweets (bread, muffins, cookies, sweets, gingerbread, etc.);
  • fatty meat dishes;
  • oily fish;
  • carbonated drinks, juices, compotes;
  • alcohol.

Products allowed for consumption and forming the basis diet food before the study:

  • cereals on water from cereals (oatmeal, buckwheat, pearl barley, millet, barley, wheat, rice);
  • lean meat (lean beef, chicken, turkey, rabbit);
  • lean fish (cod, flounder, hake, pollock, haddock, sea bass, pike, river perch);
  • eggs (no more than 1 piece per day);
  • hard cheeses;
  • boiled potatoes, beets, carrots are allowed (if there is no individual reaction).

Of course, the above products should not be consumed fried. Nutritionists recommend steaming, boiling, stewing or baking dishes.

It is necessary to adhere to the principle of regular fractional meals - 4-5 times a day, every 3-4 hours, in small portions. Dinner should be light, preferably no later than 4 hours before going to bed.

Taking medication for an abdominal ultrasound

Patients with gastrointestinal disorders often require additional medical preparation for the study.

With a tendency to flatulence, special preparations are prescribed that reduce gas formation (Espumizan, Meteospasmil, Spasm Simplex and their analogues) or enterosorbents (activated carbon, Enterosgel, Polysorb, Polyphepan, etc.) in within 3 days before the procedure.

As an alternative, the doctor may prescribe enzymes (Mezim-forte, Festal, Creon, Pancreatin) for 2-3 days before the study, to degas the intestines.

Bowel cleansing before abdominal ultrasound

If the patient has irregular stools or chronic constipation, a complete emptying of the bowels should be achieved before the ultrasound examination.

  • For constipation, it is recommended to take a laxative on the eve of the ultrasound (laxative collection, Guttalax, Fitolax, etc.) or use suppositories that facilitate defecation (Glycerax, Bisacodyl, glycerin suppositories, etc.).
  • The use of such intensive bowel cleansing preparations as Fortrans, Endofalk before ultrasound procedures is not recommended by doctors.
  • As an alternative to laxatives, enema is sometimes used (for example, if in the morning it was not possible to fully empty the intestines) 1–1.5 liters of water at room temperature.

Forced bowel cleansing is not at all necessary if the subject has regular stools - in this case, natural emptying is sufficient.

Immediately before the ultrasound procedure, it is necessary to inform the functional diagnostics specialist about the existing diseases and medicines currently accepted.

The possibilities of examining a patient with the help of ultrasonic waves are very wide. In modern medicine, ultrasound of the abdominal organs is especially often used to assess their position, structure, shape and size. Thanks to planned annual preventive examinations, practitioners manage to diagnose and prevent the further development of many diseases.

This type the examination is painless and does not pose a risk to the health of patients, they easily agree to it. However, in order for the abdominal organs to be visualized on the monitor of the apparatus, it is necessary to properly prepare for an ultrasound examination. To this end, qualified specialists have developed a special diet before abdominal ultrasound.

The main goal of adjusting the patient's menu before the examination is to reduce the formation of gases in the intestines, which can interfere with a full diagnosis. Our article will discuss the cases in which a diagnostic procedure is indicated, the features of its implementation, and what you can eat before an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity.

Basic principles of ultrasound scanning of organs

The study makes it possible to assess the condition of the abdominal organs, which are filled with fluids and consisting of solid tissue:

  • liver;
  • gallbladder;
  • spleen;
  • stomach;
  • abdominal aorta;
  • pancreas;
  • bile ducts;
  • 12 duodenal ulcer.

During the procedure, the condition of the kidneys, which are located behind the peritoneum, is also examined. This method diagnostics allows you to determine the echogenicity of organs, which depends on the density of their tissues, visualize the structure of blood vessels, ducts and bile, determine the location and size of organs, see tumor-like formations, hematomas, calculi, abscesses, thickening of the walls of organs, indicating the development of an inflammatory process.

In what cases is an examination indicated?

There are many reasons for diagnosing, the main ones are:

  • paroxysmal pain in the right hypochondrium;
  • the appearance in the mouth of a taste of bitterness;
  • nagging pain in the epigastric part of the abdomen;
  • increased gas formation;
  • the presence of belching, nausea and discomfort in the abdomen after the patient has taken food;
  • preparation for surgery;
  • performing a biopsy;
  • organ injuries;
  • suspicion of cirrhosis of the liver and neoplasms in the abdominal organs.

Scanning organs using ultrasonic waves is absolutely harmless to the human body; if there are appropriate indications, it is carried out repeatedly

Features of the diagnostic procedure

You will have to prepare for the survey in advance - proper nutrition and drinking regimen affect the quality of the final data. Many patients are concerned about the question: “Can I eat before an abdominal ultrasound?” In order to give a full answer to it, let's look at what can distort the image.

To obtain a reliable diagnostic picture of the examination, it is very important to exclude the following factors:

  • muscle spasms of organs;
  • food residues in the gastrointestinal tract;
  • motor activity of smooth muscles;
  • a large number of gases in the intestines;
  • a significant layer of hypodermis (subcutaneous fatty tissue), which is caused by overweight;
  • filling the digestive organs with a contrast agent after fluoroscopy.

To conduct an ultrasound of the abdominal organs, the patient takes a horizontal position on the back, the doctor may ask him to do deep breath or exhale, take a comfortable position on the left / right side.

What is the preparation before the ultrasound of the abdominal organs?

The main goal of preparatory measures for ultrasound scanning is to ensure complete visualization of internal organs - this will allow the diagnostician to fully assess their condition. Most often, the examination is carried out in the morning, in some cases - in the afternoon. A patient who has adequately prepared for a diagnostic procedure can be absolutely confident in making an accurate diagnosis.

When preparing for an ultrasound of the abdominal organs, the following points are considered the main rules. For 8-10 hours before the examination, you can not eat or drink.

The exception is the diagnosis of the genitourinary organs - 1.5 hours before the procedure, you must drink about 1 liter of non-carbonated water (coffee and tea are contraindicated) and do not urinate.

Three days before the study, the patient must eat specially - the essence of the diet is to prevent contraction of smooth muscles, minimize gas formation and irritation of the mucous membranes. For 2 hours it is forbidden to smoke - nicotine contributes to the occurrence of spasm of the stomach and gallbladder. Before the session, it is not allowed to use chewing gum or lollipops that freshen the breath.

Ultrasound is not performed after an X-ray examination with a contrast agent, as well as colonoscopy (assessment of the condition of the internal surfaces of the large intestine using an endoscope) and fibrogastroduodenoscopy (a method for examining the upper digestive tract). Diagnosis should be carried out with an interval of two days.

You need to worry about cleansing the intestines - 12 hours before the session, do an enema or take a laxative. Failure to comply with any rule must be reported to the diagnostician, otherwise he may inaccurately interpret the resulting image. In addition, it is very important to provide him with information about accepted medicines, especially antispasmodics - Dibazol, Papaverine, Drotaverine. If possible, it is better to refuse their use.


It is contraindicated for patients with diabetes mellitus to fast for a long time - before the procedure they can eat dried White bread and drink warm tea

The number of hours of fasting before diagnosing children differs:

  • up to 1 year - you can’t eat before an ultrasound for three hours;
  • up to 3 years - four;
  • up to 12 years - from 6 to 8 hours.

The child should not drink water before an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity for one hour.

How should one prepare for a diagnosis?

The attending physician, who issued the patient a referral for examination, should give advice - what should not be eaten before an ultrasound of the abdominal organs and why, the procedure is performed on an empty stomach or not, is it possible to drink water before an ultrasound and how much. It is necessary to eat in small fractional portions, it is desirable to take food at a three-hour interval, you can not drink it. Before an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity, you can drink purified or mineral water without gas, weak and unsweetened tea either 1 hour before a meal or 40 minutes after it.

During the day, you need to drink 1.5 liters of fluid. And now let's dwell on the consideration of detailed recommendations. 3 days before the study, it is necessary to completely exclude the use of food, which enhances the formation of gases in the intestines.

Prohibited Products:

  • rich pastries - cookies, cakes, cakes, buns, pies;
  • black bread;
  • sweets and chocolate;
  • oily fish and poultry;
  • pork;
  • leguminous fruits;
  • sausages;
  • fresh vegetables and fruits;
  • sweet carbonated and alcoholic drinks;
  • juices;
  • smoked meats and spices;
  • mushrooms;
  • pickled vegetables;
  • strong coffee;
  • milk.

It is allowed to consume cereal cereals (barley, buckwheat, oatmeal), lean meat (beef, chicken) and fish, low-fat cheese, boiled eggs. Products are preferably steamed, baked or boiled.


To improve digestion and prevent gas formation, the patient is prescribed adsorbent and enzymatic preparations - Espumizan, Enterosgel, Creon, Pancreatin, Mezim, Festal

On the evening before the procedure, until 20.00, a light dinner is allowed, it should not include fish and meat products (even dietary ones). If the patient is prone to constipation, before 16.00 you need to take a drug that stimulates defecation (Senade, Senadexin) or introduce a rectal suppository of Bissacodyl. If the patient does not tolerate laxatives well, a cleansing enema is prescribed 12 hours before the diagnostic session.

On the day of the examination, breakfast is excluded! Is it possible to eat in the morning if the procedure is scheduled for 15.00? In this case, meals are allowed until 11.00, and two hours before the study, the patient must take 2 capsules of Simethicone or 5 to 10 tablets (depending on weight) activated carbon. Eating should take place in a calm environment, without talking and haste - this will avoid swallowing air.

Approximate daily menu

It is very easy to properly prepare for an examination of the abdominal organs, main principle diets - nothing more! Especially in those cases when the studied organs are in the acute stage of the inflammatory process.

  • Breakfast - one chicken egg, soft-boiled and a cup of green tea.
  • Snack - a small piece of hard cheese of low fat content.
  • Lunch - portion dietary meat, which is steamed or boiled in lightly salted water, a cup of weak tea.
  • Snack - a portion of cereal porridge.
  • Dinner - a serving of lean fish (it can be boiled or baked), a glass mineral water without gas.

The advantages of dietary restriction are: benefits for the whole body, small loss of body weight, high accuracy of the final ultrasound data.


Immediately after the end of the diagnosis, the patient can return to the usual diet, without any restrictions.

At the end of the examination, the diagnostician gives the patient a protocol with a description of each organ, it indicates all the identified changes and a preliminary diagnosis. The course of medical therapy will be prescribed by the doctor who issued the referral for the examination. In the absence of pathology, a summary is issued in the conclusion: "The organs of the abdominal cavity have no features."

At the end of the above information, I would like to emphasize once again that a qualified specialist, sending a patient for an ultrasound scan of the abdominal organs, always informs him of the importance proper preparation to research. However, it also happens that the doctor forgets to warn or assumes that everyone knows about the need to follow a special diet. That is why in our article we have provided all the necessary detailed information on the procedure for preparatory measures for ultrasound scanning.

How is an abdominal ultrasound done: on an empty stomach or not? This question is of interest to patients. Ultrasound is an affordable examination method that allows you to obtain reliable data on the presence of diseases of the internal organs. Some organs are difficult to examine due to the presence of gas formation in them. To do this, before the diagnosis, special preparatory diets are prescribed. Getting the most accurate results depends on the correctness of the preparatory process.

What is examined during an abdominal ultrasound?

Ultrasound diagnostics is prescribed for the study of diseases of internal systems:

  • the abdominal cavity as a whole;
  • liver, biliary tract;
  • pancreas;
  • kidneys and genitourinary system;
  • prostate (in men), pelvic organs (in women).

Get the following data:

  1. In the study of the liver, data are obtained on its size, uniformity of structure, and changes in blood flow.
  2. By examining the biliary tract and gallbladder, the patency of the ducts, the presence of stones and seals in the cavity, and the dimensions are determined.
  3. The complexity of the study of the pancreas can cause gases that are in the stomach. When diagnosing, determine the size, uniformity of the connective tissue, diffuse changes.
  4. With ultrasound examination of the kidneys and peritoneal region, the location, structure, presence of stones and seals, the structure of connective tissues, and various pathological processes are determined.

Why is ultrasound of the abdominal cavity and kidneys prescribed? Ultrasound analysis is prescribed for certain symptoms associated with diseases of the internal organs:

  1. Acute abdominal pain, suspected appendicitis.
  2. Chronic belching, accompanied by sensations of bitterness in the oral cavity.
  3. Change in the color of the outer skin.
  4. With difficulty urinating with pain.
  5. After injury.
  6. Before operations performed in the peritoneal region on the abdominal organs.

What should be the diet before ultrasound of the abdominal cavity and kidneys? To obtain accurate ultrasound results, you should prepare for the analysis several days in advance. First of all, you need to stop eating foods that are actively involved in gas formation. Therefore, you can not eat before an ultrasound of the abdominal organs:

  • dairy and sour-milk products that ferment in the stomach and cause increased gas formation;
  • from berries and fruits it is not recommended to use apples, pears, cherries, grapes, peaches;
  • limit the use of bakery products, preferably eat bread made from white flour;
  • food should not contain legumes;
  • you can’t eat vegetable dishes from cabbage, potatoes, asparagus before ultrasound, they contain a large amount of polysaccharides;
  • you can not eat fatty foods, spices and spices should be excluded from daily use;
  • carbonated and alcoholic drinks, coffee, tea irritate the stomach.

What can you eat before an abdominal ultrasound? What should be the diet for abdominal ultrasound? Be sure to include in your daily diet:

  • porridge cooked in water;
  • dietary varieties of meat and fish;
  • you can eat cheeses with a fat content of no more than 35%;
  • chicken or quail eggs.

Be sure to drink non-carbonated water during the day (at least 1.5 liters).

How is an abdominal examination performed?

The day before the examination, you can do a cleansing enema or drink activated charcoal. If the ultrasound analysis is scheduled for the morning time, then the meal cannot be later than 19.00 of the previous evening. Can I drink water before an abdominal ultrasound? Before examining the kidneys and pelvic organs, it is recommended to drink 1 liter of water. If diagnostics of other organs is carried out, then you can not drink water. If an abdominal ultrasound is scheduled for daytime, then a light breakfast is available until 10.00 am. Observe the drinking regime.

Ultrasound examination is considered the most informative method of diagnosing various diseases. But in order for the results of the examination to be as accurate as possible, doctors recommend that you follow certain requirements for preparing for an ultrasound scan. It is important to exclude foods that contribute to increased gas formation, since gases do not make it possible to fully explore the abdominal organs.

It should be remembered that the examination is done on an empty stomach. At the reception, you must have liter bottle still water. If your doctor recommends, drink water immediately before the procedure.

With certain diagnoses of doctors, it is necessary to obtain images of the internal organs of the abdominal cavity by ultrasound. It is important to understand how to properly conduct an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity - on an empty stomach or not, and also to understand in what cases it is necessary.

Indications for research

Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity is used in assessing the condition of such organs:

  • spleen;
  • kidneys;
  • liver;
  • abdominal aorta and other vessels of the abdominal cavity;
  • gallbladder;
  • pancreas.

A similar check is done if a person has the following symptoms:

  • appendicitis;
  • formations in the cavity or organs;
  • aortic aneurysms;
  • cholelithiasis and kidney stone disease;
  • abdominal pain;
  • organs increase in size;
  • during a needle biopsy of the kidneys or liver, due to abdominal trauma, the study is necessary for control.

In combination with Doppler ultrasound is used during:

  1. Thrombosis of vessels in the organs of the cavity.
  2. In the process of evaluating congenital vessels of an artrio-venous shunt.
  3. Vasoconstriction.
  4. During the diagnosis of neoplasms.

Training

For the reliability of the results of the study, in the end, you should follow simple recommendations when preparing for an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity:

  1. The main question that many people have before research is how to do an ultrasound on an empty stomach or not. After all, to improve the quality of the study, it is better not to eat food before it at least 6-7 hours before it is carried out.
  2. With frequent increases in gas formation, doctors advise taking 5-6 tablets of activated charcoal the night before. It is allowed to take 2-3 measuring spoons of the drug "Espumizan" in return.

To reduce gas formation in the intestines, doctors recommend following a diet three days before the ultrasound:

  1. The following food products are allowed: cereals, poultry or beef, lean fish in baked or boiled form, one soft-boiled egg a day, cheese with a low percentage of fat.
  2. Fractional meals - every 4 hours throughout the day.
  3. The liquid is taken in the form of water and weak tea in the amount of one and a half liters per day.

Attention! Parsing the question, whether an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity is done on an empty stomach or not, doctors allow, in addition to the morning hours, the study on an empty stomach also after 15 hours. At the same time, breakfast should be at 8-10 am, after which it is forbidden to eat food and liquids.

Exclusion of products: raw vegetables and fruits, legumes, bread, milk, fatty meat and fish, sweets, strong coffee and juices, alcoholic and carbonated drinks.

With frequent constipation on the eve of the morning ultrasound at about 4 pm, use a herbal laxative.

Ultrasound of the kidneys and thyroid gland


Many are interested in how an ultrasound of the kidneys is performed on an empty stomach or not. It must be understood that if there is air exchange and gases in the abdominal cavity, the study will be extremely difficult. Ultrasonic waves can pass through liquid without problems, but not through gases and air.

Preparation before the study is not difficult to do on your own due to proper nutrition and fluid intake. All of the above instructions must be followed.

Ultrasound of the kidneys is often performed at the same time as studies of organs such as bladder and abdominal cavity. In such cases, an ultrasound of the kidneys on an empty stomach is performed according to the dietary instructions of doctors only early in the morning.

For diagnosing diseases thyroid gland no special preparation is required. Whether an ultrasound of the thyroid gland is performed on an empty stomach or not depends solely on the age of the patient. On an empty stomach, this procedure is recommended only for the elderly and children to avoid the possibility of gag reflexes. It takes about 25 minutes.

Fluid in the stomach


For the stomach, the norm is a small amount of mucus and fluid, which will not interfere with the study of the relief of the mucous membrane. The liquid is expressed by the presence of a horizontal level, which manifests itself against the background of gas bubbles and characteristic sedimentation of contrast agents in the form of flakes.

When mixing a liquid with a contrast agent, the clarity of the relief image is distorted. Mucous lumps simulate filling defects. The presence of fluid is often accompanied by impaired evacuation functions, a decrease in tone, lowering of the stomach, and changes in the relief of the mucous membrane.

Note! Often, at the beginning of the diagnosis, mucus and fluid are not observed, after which, when examining a barium suspension, a layer of liquid appears, one side of which is delimited by the gas bubble of the stomach, the other by a contrast suspension.

If an adult has accumulated fluid in the stomach on an empty stomach, the reasons may be different:

  1. Oncological diseases (malignant tumors) are present.
  2. Quite common in humans is cirrhosis of the liver.
  3. Insufficiency of cardiac activity.
  4. Tuberculosis disease.
  5. Kidney diseases.
  6. Increased liver pressure.
  7. Pancreatitis.
  8. Female gynecological causes.

Ultrasound for a child

Attention! A newborn baby may suffer from ascites due to congenital edema. More often the cause is the mother's illness during pregnancy and her bad habits.

Before ultrasound of the stomach, preparation is carried out:

  1. Before starting the study, it is recommended to take 0.5-1 liter of juice of any fruit.
  2. Intravenous administration of a special pharmacological preparation in the required dosage. It is necessary to increase contractile activity gastrointestinal tract.
  3. Those who are interested in how to properly do an ultrasound on an empty stomach or not - always on an empty stomach.

The preparatory stage before conducting an ultrasound examination for a child is similar. Only the dose of the drug and the amount of fluid drunk should correspond to the age norm. As a result, it is possible to obtain the maximum reliable result diagnostics.

Ultrasound of the stomach is a type of echography that helps to assess the condition of this organ. Often the question is: “Do they do ultrasound of the stomach?” Rarely, but they do it anyway. Some patients perform it with some discomfort in the upper abdomen, as the first stage in the examination of the gastrointestinal tract.

This method is more comfortable than gastroscopy, but, unfortunately, less effective, since not all pathology is visible during the study, and there is no possibility of histological verification of the diagnosis, that is, it is impossible to perform a biopsy and find out the nature of the changes. Ultrasound of the stomach is often done in children for primary diagnosis.

Indications for the procedure

  • gastritis, mucosal ulcer
  • suspicion of cancer
  • pyloroduodenal stenosis is a pronounced narrowing of the pylorus
  • intestinal obstruction (this requires ultrasound of the gastrointestinal tract as a whole)
  • anomalies of embryonic development and structure.

How to Prepare for a Stomach Ultrasound

  1. Compliance with the diet for about two days before the procedure. Do not eat foods that provoke gas formation ( Rye bread, peas, beans, cabbage, kefir, carbonated mineral water, fresh fruits and vegetables)
  2. The last meal on the day preceding the study, no later than seven to eight o'clock in the evening
  3. On the morning of the ultrasound of the stomach and intestines, do not eat, drink or smoke. Although, as an exception, patients with severe hunger pains are allowed to drink half a glass of tea and eat a cracker.

Such a simple preparation for an ultrasound of the stomach will allow the doctor to examine the organ well.

How research is done

Sonography (ultrasound) is performed on an empty stomach. The patient either lies on his back, or takes a semi-sitting position. The doctor places the sensor in the epigastric region, while from the position of the sensor it is possible to visualize either the anterior and posterior walls, or the small and large curvature at the same time.

Normally, there is fluid in the stomach on ultrasound in a small amount. During the procedure, the shape of the organ, its position, as well as the thickness of its walls and the presence of deformations are evaluated.

Read also:

All the subtleties of preparing and undergoing ultrasound of the pancreas

Although ultrasound is done on an empty stomach, sometimes contrast agents are used for better visualization, for example, Ehovist-200, diluted with carbonated water in an amount of five hundred milliliters.

What does the ultrasound of the stomach show

Scanning of this organ is usually carried out during a comprehensive examination of the organs of the abdominal cavity.

What will an ultrasound of the stomach show in normal

  1. Sections of the organ look like oval or rounded annular formations with an echo-negative rim and an echo-positive center.
  2. The wall thickness is from 4-6 mm in the proximal to 6-8 in the pyloric.
  3. There are five layers in the wall, which differ in echogenicity.
  4. The outer serous membrane is hyperechoic.
  5. The muscular layer is hypoechoic, 2-2.5 cm in size.
  6. The submucosa has an average echogenicity and a thickness of up to 3 mm.
  7. The lamina propria of the mucosa has low hypoechogenicity and is up to 1 mm thick.
  8. The mucous membrane is up to 1.5 mm in size of a hyperechoic nature.
  9. A glass of liquid is evacuated in about 20 minutes, while the time for primary evacuation is normally about 3 minutes.
  10. The patient is turned on the right side to assess peristalsis.
  11. All layers of the gastric wall should be differentiated, this important point in the diagnosis of tumors.
  12. It is important to evaluate not the thickness of the walls, but their uniformity.
  13. With ultrasound of the gastrointestinal tract, the condition of the surrounding tissues is assessed: lymphatic vessels and nodes, as well as the liver and pancreas.

Possible pathologies

  1. Ultrasound of the esophagus and stomach can diagnose gastroesophageal reflux. The main condition for this is the presence of fluid in the cardiac zone. Several turns of the body provoke a reverse cast. In this case, the fluid returning to the esophagus is visualized as an anechoic column. The result is quite accurate and comparable in value to barium radiography of the gastrointestinal tract.
  2. Diaphragmatic hernia is detected only in the presence of fluid in the cavity of the organ, its magnitude cannot be estimated.
  3. Cysts are extremely rare and consist of two layers: an echogenic inner mucosal layer and a hypoechoic muscular outer layer.
  4. Ultrasound of the stomach in a child often reveals hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, characterized by a thickening of the pylorus muscle ring.
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