The Abdominal Scan in Suspected Ascites (Chapter 24)
Suggests ascites- Dark and hypo-echoic appearances in the flanks
- Loops of gas-filled bowel afloat around the centre/periumbilical region
Points of concern before ascitic tap- Hepatomegaly or enlarged gallbladder
- Splenomegaly
- Full bladder. A common mistake is to insert a needle into the fluid of the bladder, so ensure several planes of view are evaluated before proceeding in real-time. It is also sensible to ask the patient to void beforehand.
- Measure the fluid in two planes to get a better idea of depth.
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