Ultrasonography, also known as ultrasound, is a noninvasive imaging procedure used to visualize soft tissue structures of the body by recording the reflection of inaudible sound waves directed into the tissues. The image produced by the ultrasound is called a sonogram. The diagnostic procedure, which requires very little patient preparation, is used in many branches of medicine for accurate diagnosis of certain pathologic conditions (Chart 13.1). It may be used diagnostically with obstetric, gynecologic, or cardiac patients and in patients with abnormal conditions of the kidney, pancreas, gallbladder (GB), lymph nodes, liver, spleen, abdominal aorta, bile ducts, ureters, bladder, thyroid, or peripheral blood vessels. Frequently, it is used in conjunction with radiology or nuclear medicine scans. The procedure is relatively quick (often requiring only a few minutes to an hour) and causes little discomfort. No harmful effects have yet been established at the low intensities that are used (<100 mW/cm2).
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