I'm going for an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity. I can eat. How to prepare for an abdominal ultrasound (AUS). Why do you need preparation for ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs?

There are many diagnostic methods designed to help the doctor make a correct diagnosis. One of them is ultrasound examination. For some studies, such as abdominal ultrasound, you should prepare in a certain way so that the result is reliable and highly informative.

Purpose of the survey

Some diseases signal themselves with minor symptoms that are common to many diseases, so to clarify the diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe ultrasound diagnostics.

An abdominal ultrasound involves examining the liver, stomach, gallbladder and ducts, pancreas, spleen, and intestines.

Based on the results of an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity, in case of any suspicion, additional examinations may be prescribed: the uterus, prostate gland, bladder and kidneys, as well as large vessels and lymph nodes.

Preparing for an abdominal examination

To avoid excessive flatulence, which distorts the ultrasound picture, it is important to follow a number of recommendations:

• three days before the examination - small meals 4-5 times a day, drink at least 1.5 liters of fluid per day; exclude from the menu all gas-forming foods - sweets, fruits, vegetables, fatty meat and fish, alcohol, sweet soda, milk, dairy products, juices, legumes and others; for flatulence, enzyme preparations and adsorbents are prescribed;
• on the eve of the examination - dinner until 20.00; exclude meat and fish dishes; if you are prone to constipation, laxatives are prescribed; if they do not help, you will need a cleansing enema 12 hours before the ultrasound; anti-bloating medications are prescribed one day before the examination;
• on the day of the examination - the morning procedure is carried out on an empty stomach; if the ultrasound is after 15.00, a light breakfast is allowed until 11 o’clock; 2 hours before the examination you must take an adsorbent; It is possible to prescribe an enema in the morning before an ultrasound if the intestines are prone to flatulence.

Additional factors influencing information content:

• It is advisable not to smoke within two hours before the test;
• 2 hours before the ultrasound, exclude chewing gum and lollipops;
• if there was an X-ray examination of the gastrointestinal tract using contrast agents, ultrasound diagnostics should be postponed for 2-3 days;
• endoscopy of the gastrointestinal tract, laparoscopy - postpone ultrasound for 3-5 days;
• Take antispasmodics – after consulting your doctor, stop taking them one day before the test.
• To examine the kidneys and bladder, the latter must be full - you need to drink 0.5 liters of water an hour before the procedure and not urinate.

Features of preparing children for research

Children under one year old are not fed 3-4 hours, and are not given water 1 hour before the procedure. Children from 1 to 3 years old should not eat for 4 hours and not drink for 1 hour before the ultrasound. If the child is over 3 years old, it is recommended not to eat for 6-8 hours and not drink for 1 hour before the procedure.

Symptoms that require attention

If certain signs are present, ultrasound diagnostics is simply necessary to exclude serious pathologies. Sign up for an abdominal ultrasound at our medical center if you notice:

• bitter taste in the mouth;
• low-grade fever (long-term 37-38°C);
• vomiting, often feeling nauseous;
• heaviness in the stomach;
• pain in the abdomen, lower back, under the breasts, in the left and right hypochondrium;
• increased flatulence;
• burning, pain, pain when urinating, increased frequency of trips to the toilet.

Our medical centers employ qualified ultrasound doctors with many years of experience, which guarantees a high level of examination quality. Doctors have expert-class ultrasound equipment at their disposal, which allows them to conduct accurate diagnostics and make the correct diagnosis in a timely manner.

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Ultrasound examination is considered one of the most common methods for diagnosing internal organs. It is especially often prescribed to determine possible pathologies.To obtain more reliable results, it is important to know about preparation for diagnosis.

This research method is prescribed by a specialist for the following patient complaints:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Feeling of bitterness in the mouth
• Pain of varying nature and intensity in the abdominal area
• Increased gas formation
• Increased abdominal volume

Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity is also prescribed if tumor processes or infectious and inflammatory diseases are suspected.

To obtain accurate research results, you need to know the specifics of preparing for diagnosis. To this end, you must adhere to the following rules:

1. Do not eat food or drink liquids 4-5 hours before. You can drink water before diagnosis only if the patient needs to have his kidneys examined or if his gallbladder has been removed.
2. To cleanse the intestines, it is advisable to do an enema before undergoing diagnostics. You can also do without an enema - then the specialist will advise you to take medications intended to cleanse the organ. These are drugs such as Senadexin, Fortrans, Prelaxan, Senade, Dufalak, Normaze, which have a laxative effect. You can take adsorbents, for example, Espumisan or Activated Carbon, for two days.
3. It is advisable not to drink alcoholic beverages several days before the procedure. It is also not recommended to smoke two hours before the ultrasound.
4. It is best to carry out the procedure on an empty stomach in the morning.
5. A few hours before the test, you should not chew gum or hard candies.
6. Afterwards, an ultrasound examination is recommended to be carried out after three days.
7. If the patient took any painkillers the day before, this must be reported to the specialist.

Before diagnosing the abdominal cavity, it is recommended to follow a diet for three days that excludes the following foods from the diet:

• Carbonated drinks
• Milk
• Raw fruits and vegetables
• Fat meat
• Confectionery
• Fruit juices
• Black bread

In addition, you should not eat fatty, spicy or fried foods these days. Limiting such products helps to significantly reduce gas formation in the intestines, which will allow the specialist to better examine the abdominal cavity.It is advisable that the meals be fractional, every three hours.

Executing the procedure

In order to carry out the diagnosis, the patient is placed in a supine position on his back. The specialist may ask you to take deep breaths or stop breathing and turn to the side for an accurate check.

A special product in the form of a gel, which is a contrast agent, is applied to the abdominal area. The ultrasound probe is then passed over the areas of the abdomen where the internal organs are located.

The study is carried out using high-frequency ultrasonic waves (from 2.5 to 3.5 MHz). They allow you to obtain a three-dimensional or two-dimensional image of organs.

A special sensor receives readings and sends them to a computer monitor.

During the ultrasound procedure, the following organs located in the abdominal cavity are examined:

Ultrasound examination determines the size and shape of internal organs. They must correspond to the anatomical indicators of the norm. Any deviation indicates pathological changes in the body.

Among other indicators during ultrasound, the following standards are distinguished:

• Smooth contours of organs. In diseases, their indistinctness and blurriness are observed.
• The echo structure should be homogeneous (homogeneous echo structure). The pathological process occurring in the organ is indicated by granularity - heterogeneity of the echostructure.
• Normally, there is no space-occupying formation or calculus. If such structures are observed during decoding, they also indicate possible diseases.

The following are considered normal indicators:

• The size of the left lobe is 7 cm
• Right – 12.5 cm
• Caudate – 3.5 cm

For the gallbladder, the following indicators are normal:

• Size from 6 to 10
• Volume – from 30 to 70 cubic millimeters
• Shape – pear-shaped
• Wall thickness – no higher than 0.4 cm

Indicators are normal:

• Organ body – 2.5 cm
• Head – 3.5 cm
• Caudal part – 3 cm

Normal dimensions are 5 cm by 11 cm.

Deviations from the norm: possible pathologies

If the ultrasound result shows an increase in the volume of the liver, then a possible pathology may be. Decreasing size indicates .If there are fatty cysts in the liver, the diagnosis is fatty degeneration. Weak echoes or diffuse enhancement indicate mainly hepatitis or cirrhosis.

When dilatation of the hepatic vessels is observed during decoding, these changes indicate damage to the veins by tuberculosis.When neoplasms are detected, additional research methods are prescribed in order to more accurately formulate a diagnosis.Changes in contours are observed as a result of inflammation of the organ. Fine-grained parenchyma indicates the initial stage of development of cirrhosis or viral hepatitis.

Possible diseases with an increase in organ volume during ultrasound are:

• Cirrhosis
• Liver calcifications
• Hepatitis
• Hepatocellular carcinoma
• Steatosis
• Hemangioma
• Gallbladder

Using ultrasound, you can determine the following organ diseases:

• Cholesterosis
• Cholelithiasis
• Cholecystitis
• Cancer formation

An increase in the size of the gallbladder indicates stagnation of bile processes, which can occur as a result of dyskinesia of the tract or the presence of stones. This can also change the shape of the organ. The walls of the organ become thicker during inflammatory diseases.

More information about preparing for an abdominal ultrasound can be found in the video:

Ultrasound examination of the kidneys can reveal deviations from the norm in the following pathologies:

• Stones in the kidneys
• Inflammation of the ureters or kidneys
• Kidney parenchyma disease
• Tumor processes
• Spleen and pancreas

Examination of the spleen will make it possible to diagnose diseases such as cysts and abscesses, developmental defects, organ infarction, splenomegaly and tumors. If ultrasound shows changes in the size and structure of the spleen, then this condition may indicate infections (mononucleosis, typhoid, hepatitis). Enlargement of the organ occurs with hemolytic anemia.

Possible diseases of the pancreas when deciphered, in which pathological processes and various changes in the structure are observed, are:

• Fatty infiltration
• Pancreatitis
• Tumor

When inflamed, the organ increases in size. Its reduced size may indicate the presence of fibrosis. This pathology is also indicated by the heterogeneity of the structure.

When ultrasound is contraindicated

Ultrasound examination is considered a safe diagnosis and therefore has no restrictions.

However, it is better not to diagnose in the following cases:

• If the rules for preparing for the procedure are violated. Violation of recommendations may distort the results of the study.
• In the presence of extensive burns, dermatological diseases in the abdominal area. Such lesions interfere with close contact of the sensor with the skin and cause pain to the patient.
• It is not recommended to do this if the patient has an accumulation of gases in the intestines. This factor affects the accuracy and reliability of the results.

Ultrasound has many advantages over other diagnostic methods. These advantages are:

• Public availability of the procedure
• Non-invasive research
• Accuracy and reliability of results
• Quick and painless procedures
• Receive a transcript in a short time
• Method safety
• Ease of preparation
• Affordable price

Another advantage is the ability to examine almost all organs.In addition, a correctly established diagnosis will help you choose appropriate and effective treatment tactics, which allows you to avoid undesirable consequences.

According to doctors, the quantity and quality of foods that can be eaten before an abdominal ultrasound procedure affect the effectiveness.

To get an undistorted result, a few days before the ultrasound, a special diet is prescribed, which determines what and how much you can eat and drink, and what you cannot.

Ultrasound is one of the most informative types of medical examination.

This is an accessible and painless procedure, during which the digestive organs located in the abdominal cavity, as well as the urinary system and blood vessels are examined.

With the help of abdominal ultrasound, the doctor receives the most reliable information about the condition of the organs and the presence of pathological processes in them that signal diseases or neoplasms.

During an ultrasound, a specialist - a sonologist - examines the surface of the abdomen using an ultrasound sensor, which not only sends sound waves, but also receives their reflections.

The information received is displayed on the screen, the doctor analyzes the results and makes an informed conclusion about the patient’s health condition.

The procedure in the abdominal cavity is not complicated, but may be complicated by subjective factors. The human intestinal system is difficult to examine using ultrasound.

The main sections of the intestine, with the exception of the duodenum, have very low echogenic properties - the structure of the tissue of the intestinal system is not capable of providing the level of reflection of ultrasonic waves necessary for research.

The only available option for ultrasound is to analyze structural changes in intestinal loops.

Performing an ultrasound of all abdominal organs becomes more difficult if the intestines are full of gases or food debris.

In this case, it is not possible to obtain accurate information about the condition of the abdominal organs, since the resulting image is distorted.

For this reason, ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs is always performed on an empty stomach. To eliminate gases and food residues from the intestines, the patient is prescribed a diet in advance.

Features of nutrition before ultrasound

Diet is one of the most important stages of preparation for an ultrasound. Following a diet involves reducing the consumption of certain foods.

Together with the qualifications of a sonologist, proper nutrition corresponding to the diet prescribed by the doctor is the key to an effective result of the ultrasound procedure.

The main task of the diet is to ensure maximum information content of ultrasound of organs located in the abdominal cavity.

To do this, it is necessary to temporarily exclude from the diet foods that provoke intestinal spasms, irritate the intestinal mucosa, and also contribute to the appearance and accumulation of gases.

As a rule, a diet before an ultrasound begins 3 days before the procedure.

The doctor is obliged to consult the patient, tell him what the preparation involves and provide full information about the products - what can be eaten before examining the abdominal cavity and what cannot be eaten.

Along with this, the doctor informs the patient about what can be drunk and in what quantities. As a rule, before an ultrasound scan it is necessary to temporarily stop drinking strong drinks - it is not recommended to drink coffee, tea and alcohol.

In addition, before the ultrasound, the ban also applies to smoking. The reason is not so much nicotine, which worsens the overall health of the body, but rather the fact that during smoking a person swallows air, and its accumulation in the intestines can adversely affect the results of ultrasound.

For the same reason, chewing gum is not advisable before the procedure.

What foods should you not eat before an ultrasound?

To ensure gentle nutrition, you need to know what types of foods to exclude from the diet in the first place.

You can't drink milk. This product contains lactose. As people age, the intestines of most people lose the ability to produce enzymes that can break down milk sugar.

Therefore, milk lactose, entering the intestines, becomes the object of enhanced fermentation, provoking the formation of gases.

This situation is typical not only for milk in its pure form, but also for all products that are made from it, including fermented milk.

You shouldn’t go heavy on fruit either. Since all fruits contain fructose - fruit sugar, fermentation of products of this type begins immediately after they enter the intestines.

Particularly intense fermentation is promoted by figs, apples, peaches, cherries, plums, grapes and pears.

Before the procedure, you should forget about bread, bakery products, and pastries. Products prepared with flour are characterized by a high level of complex carbohydrates.

Since carbohydrates belong to the category of polysaccharides, when they enter the intestines, they immediately become a source of gas formation.

Especially bread products made with black rye flour. However, it is not necessary to give up bread at all, even before an ultrasound.

Doctors believe that without fear of serious consequences, you can eat white bread, but in small quantities.

All of them contain large quantities of vegetable protein and polysaccharides with a very low level of digestibility. When they break down, these compounds release too many gases.

Vegetables are also highly undesirable. Vegetables that contain polysaccharides include all types of cabbage, potatoes, onions, corn and asparagus. Intake of these vegetables in food promotes the intensity of fermentation in the intestines.

Fatty meat and fatty fish are another point that you should pay attention to before an ultrasound.

A special property of fats is the ability to accumulate in the intestines. As a result, accumulated fats become a source of gas formation.

Before the procedure, you should forget about carbonated drinks. It is highly undesirable to drink soda before an ultrasound.

Because such drinks contain gas, which, when it enters the intestines, leads to irritation and bloating.

In addition, carbonated drinks contain many synthetic ingredients that have an irritating effect on the mucous membrane. This refers to dyes, stabilizers and preservative additives.

Doctors do not recommend consuming any spices before the test. Despite the fact that spices contain many useful compounds, their irritating effect on the mucous membrane may not have the best effect on the ultrasound result.

Therefore, eating dishes containing pepper, ginger, cumin, cinnamon or other types of spices before the procedure is not recommended.

What foods can you eat?

Preparation for an ultrasound of internal organs involves a diet that includes only foods that are easily digested by the body. You can eat all types of porridges cooked in water - buckwheat, rice, pearl barley or oatmeal.

You can also eat:

1. boiled meat, if it does not contain fat - poultry, beef;
2. low fat cheese;
3. soft-boiled egg - once a day.

Meals should be limited in volume, but maintain regularity in frequency. The optimal break is 3 hours.

At the same time, it is very important to eat slowly, chewing food thoroughly to avoid swallowing air.

It is equally important to provide the body with the necessary amount of fluid. It is best to drink water, but you can also brew weak tea without sugar. The required volume of liquid per day is one and a half liters.

If the ultrasound procedure is scheduled for the morning, then dinner the day before should take place no earlier than 12 hours before. As a rule, taking any liquid in the morning is prohibited.

If the ultrasound takes place during the day, a very light breakfast is allowed from 8 to 11 am. After this, drinking water and any snacks are not allowed.

Preparation for an ultrasound of some organs may differ. For example, preparation for an ultrasound scan of the gallbladder is carried out in several stages and with a certain sequence - the first procedure on an empty stomach, the second - after a test breakfast, two more procedures - with an interval of 15 minutes.

Whereas preparation for an ultrasound of the kidneys for certain indications requires increasing the fluid intake the day before the procedure. This must be done in order to fill the bladder.

In addition, preparation for a kidney examination involves taking enterosorbent medications for 2 days before the ultrasound.

If a kidney ultrasound is performed against the background of hypertension, diabetes mellitus or coronary heart disease, the preparation conditions are determined by the attending physician on an individual basis.

Preparing for an ultrasound is the most important stage of a diagnostic examination, so this event should be taken with the utmost seriousness and responsibility.

The appointment of an ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs is currently one of the most frequently performed activities. It is difficult to choose such an informative diagnostic method, thanks to which it is possible to identify various lesions of the pancreas, liver, bile ducts and gallbladder.

In addition, ultrasound diagnostics allows you to assess the exact condition of other organs, for example, the spleen and stomach. This article will discuss in detail what the patient should do before an abdominal ultrasound and other useful information.

The grounds for conducting this type of study are all kinds of suspicions of the presence of diseases of the digestive tract:

• Acute and chronic inflammatory lesions (liver cirrhosis, hepatitis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis);
• Tumors (benign and malignant).

• To determine the causes of abdominal pain;
• To identify the presence of an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta, its presence, its condition and size;
• To assess the size and shape of the liver, detect tumor and inflammatory liver diseases;
• In order to determine the presence of stones in the bile ducts and gallbladder cavity, their position and size;
• For the diagnosis of inflammatory diseases or tumors of the pancreas;
• For the purpose of diagnosing damage resulting from various injuries.

Quite often, ultrasound is also performed during the treatment of diseases of the digestive system in order to monitor its effectiveness.

If ultrasound is indicated for you, then first of all you need proper preparation.

Information on preparing for an abdominal ultrasound

Without proper preparation for ultrasound, all data obtained may be incorrectly assessed, which is why special attention must be paid to it. Before this study, you should follow a special diet for several days, which is aimed at eliminating increased gas formation (flatulence), and also eat special foods. For this purpose, raw fruits, vegetables, legumes, black bread, carbonated drinks, juices, sauerkraut and other foods should be excluded from the daily diet.

Another important point: about 2-3 days before the start of the examination, you can take special enzyme preparations (recommended by a specialist), they help reduce gas formation in the intestines. On the day of the study, such drugs are not used.

It is advisable not to eat food immediately on the day of the study; this applies to the next 8-12 hours before the start. The optimal time for an ultrasound is, of course, morning. If the examination is scheduled for another time (after lunch), then in the morning you can drink unsweetened tea and eat dried white bread, the main thing is that there are at least 6 hours left before the examination.

If a patient who needs an abdominal ultrasound suffers from cardiovascular diseases and receives appropriate treatment with special medications, then such therapy should not be canceled, but a radiologist must be notified about the use of such medications. The preparation of such patients is also no different.

Additional information regarding nutrition before an ultrasound scan

List of allowed foods that you can eat before starting ultrasound diagnostics of the abdominal cavity:

• Cereal porridges: barley, buckwheat, flaxseed, water-based oats;
• Meat dishes: poultry, beef;
• You can eat low-fat fish - steamed, baked or boiled, low-fat cheese.

Meals should be fractional, eating 4-5 times a day approximately every 3-4 hours, in small portions. Drinking liquid (weak tea, water) up to 1.5 liters per day.

Ultrasound examination is performed both in the morning (on an empty stomach) and later. If the procedure is scheduled for the afternoon, you can have breakfast early in the morning, after which it is forbidden to eat food or drink water.

Foods that stimulate gas formation in the intestines should be excluded from the diet:

• Do not eat legumes (beans, peas), raw vegetables and fruits
• bakery products (it is not advisable to eat cakes, cookies, pies and buns)
• dairy
• fish and fatty meats
• sweets (sugar, candy)
• It is not recommended to drink juices, coffee, carbonated drinks, or alcohol
• It is not recommended to drink water before the test

It is also not advisable to smoke before an ultrasound scan, since the nicotine contained in cigarettes can cause contraction of the gallbladder, and this may lead to an inaccurate diagnosis.

Information about the results of the study

The interpretation of the results of an abdominal ultrasound should be handled exclusively by a specialist radiologist. Only he can establish the most accurate diagnosis, which significantly increases the chances of a speedy recovery.

With the help of ultrasound diagnostics of the abdominal organs, it is possible to timely identify a number of quite life-threatening diseases and begin their timely treatment, without waiting for the onset of acute (cholecystitis) or incurable diseases (tumor processes). Do not forget that proper preparation for the study is the key to an accurate diagnosis.

Have you ordered a ticket for an abdominal ultrasound, but you don’t know how to prepare for this procedure?

What to take with you to the clinic?

• Documents: coupon, referral, results of previous studies, passport, etc.
• Napkins. During an ultrasound, a special gel is applied to the patient's body. It does not leave stains on clothes, but it is better to take napkins with you - they will be used to remove all remnants of the gel from the body upon completion of the examination.
• Sheet. Medical centers are equipped differently. Just in case, take a sheet with you so you don't have to lie on an uncovered couch.
• Replacement shoes, shoe covers. Depending on the requirements of the medical institution where the study will take place, the patient may need replacement shoes. In some medical centers you can purchase shoe covers on site and put them on the shoes you came in.

Before the procedure: at home

Depending on which organs will be examined, the patient may be prescribed one or another diet. Strictly follow the recommendations received from your doctor. General rules:

1. If you are having a liver, spleen, gallbladder, or pancreas test, avoid fatty foods for dinner the day before the test. It is recommended to abstain from any food 8-12 hours before the ultrasound.

2. If you are having a kidney test, you may be advised to drink 4-6 cups of water an hour before the procedure. To avoid the accumulation of gases in the intestines, it is recommended to abstain from any food 8-12 hours before the ultrasound.

3. If you are having an aortic examination, it is recommended to refrain from any examination 8-12 hours before the ultrasound.

Advice: to avoid hunger, try to sign up for the study in the morning. In this case, you will spend most of the “fasting” in your sleep.

The doctor may prescribe special medications that should be taken on the eve of the test. It can be:

• medications to improve digestion (Mezim, Festal),
• drugs to reduce gas formation (Simethicone, activated carbon)
• laxatives / suppositories / cleansing enema for constipation.

What is not recommended to eat and drink before an ultrasound?

Before the examination, do not consume foods that cause gas formation in the intestines for 24 hours:

• Try to avoid salty and fried foods, as well as any foods that can cause intestinal irritation.
• Don't drink alcoholic beverages.
• Drink enough, but not too much water.
• It is better to avoid juices, soda, milk, tea, coffee.
• Avoid eating raw vegetables, legumes, baked goods, dairy products and sweets.

An example of a gas-reducing diet:

• whole grain porridge: buckwheat, barley, oats, flax seed,
• soft-boiled eggs (1 piece per day),
• low-fat cheese,
• lean meat (chicken, beef) – boiled or steamed,
• lean fish – baked, boiled, steamed,
• water, tea.

You need to eat in small portions, 4-5 sittings a day.

Before the procedure: in the medical center

• Before starting the examination, ask your doctor if you have any questions regarding the procedure.
• Some centers require patients to sign a consent form before undergoing an abdominal ultrasound. Read the information carefully and, if there are no questions, sign the document.
• Before the procedure, it is advisable not to smoke and remove all jewelry (for example, navel piercing) - this may distort the results.
• In some clinics, the patient is asked to change into a medical shirt, but in most cases, the examination can be done in ordinary clothes, exposing only the area being examined.
• Tell the technologist about all medications you took before the study.

Doctor's advice:

By following these simple rules, ultrasound will become a quick and absolutely painless procedure for you, not accompanied by any manifestations of discomfort.