Ultrasound at home - how is it? Ultrasound diagnostics at home: if you can’t go to the hospital Special preparation of organs for ultrasound at home

Ultrasound at home is an indispensable discovery that allows you to establish a diagnosis in cases where a person cannot be transported to a medical institution for examination on a stationary scanner, or such transportation can aggravate his condition. Preparation for such a study may be different, depending on which organs need to be examined. The interpretation is also based on the type of ultrasound.

Types of examination at home

At home, you can have an examination of almost any organ that can be examined with an ultrasound.

It is produced by a qualified sonologist using a portable ultrasound machine. You will receive a transcript, as in the case of a stationary examination, immediately after the procedure.

On the road (this is the same as at home), the following types of ultrasound diagnostics are carried out:

• brain
• small pelvis (uterus, appendages - in women, prostate, seminal vesicles - in men)
• abdominal organs
• kidneys, ureters, bladder
• mammary glands
• thyroid gland
• any ultrasound examination of a child, including neurosonography and thymus
• Doppler study of the vessels of the extremities, neck, head
• joints
• salivary glands
• scrotum organs
• hearts
• pleural cavity
• a study at any stage of pregnancy (both a transabdominal ultrasound sensor and a transvaginal one can be used).

On-site ultrasound

When do you need an ultrasound at home

Everyone can undergo this study, especially since almost any organ can be “examined” by ultrasound. By making a home visit, you:

• avoid standing in line
• greatly reduce the risk of infection
• you will not be a participant in traffic jams
• save your nerves

which is especially important for pregnant women, people with immunodeficiency conditions (including after chemotherapy or radiation therapy) and people with heart disease.

It is important to undergo an examination at home and in the cases listed below:

• dizziness
• loss of consciousness followed by full recovery
• bleeding from the vagina – especially in pregnant women
• enlargement of the joint
• back pain that radiates to the groin, scrotum, genitals.

Read also:

What does increased echogenicity mean for our organs

This is especially necessary for disabled people and people with immunodeficiency, who are extremely difficult to transport to various medical institutions in order to make a correct diagnosis.

Please note: a planned study for pregnant women who have indications for perinatal screening (or who are registered in a medical genetic consultation) is carried out under the conditions of this consultation, since an expert-class device is needed.

How to prepare for research

Preparation depends on what type of ultrasound you need.

So, without preparation, they study:

• pelvic organs - transvaginal or transrectal sensor
• thyroid and mammary glands
• scrotum organs
• regional lymph nodes
• pleural cavities
• heart and blood vessels
• soft tissues
• joints
• Ultrasound of the second half of pregnancy.

On an empty stomach (the last meals and water should be 5-6 hours before the study), ultrasound diagnostics is performed:

• organs of the abdominal cavity
• retroperitoneal organs (adrenals, kidneys, pancreas)
• gynecological ultrasound and examination of the first trimester of pregnancy
• kidneys and pelvic organs (in addition to coming on an empty stomach, you must also fill the bladder).

How the study is done

How ultrasound is done at home depends on which organs need to be examined. Thus, the diagnosis of pathologies of the chest organs, cerebral vessels, neck, upper and lower extremities, head, abdominal organs and small pelvis is performed through the skin. A gel is applied to it, along which the sensor will be moved.

In some cases, the transducer may be inserted into the natural opening (transrectally or transvaginally, for a more detailed examination of the internal genital organs). Then a special gel is applied to the sensor, and a disposable condom is put on top, then injected inside.

What can the doctor find on the study

• echostructure
• localization
• homogeneity
• dimensions
• organ contours
• the presence of intraluminal or adjacent formations located with the organ.

How to organize an examination?

Keep in mind that many types of ultrasound examinations require preliminary preparation:

• Ultrasound of the abdominal organs require a special diet for 3 days before the examination. It is needed to reduce gas formation in the intestines. To do this, exclude from the diet cabbage in any form, grapes, apples, legumes, carbonated drinks, fatty foods. To improve digestion these days, take Mezim.
• Examination of the abdominal cavity is performed strictly on an empty stomach. For 5-6 hours before it, you should refrain from eating. Therefore, the most convenient option for the patient is an ultrasound scan in the morning, before breakfast.
• Ultrasound of the genitourinary system and pelvic organs can be performed through the anterior abdominal wall. In preparation for the examination, follow a diet to reduce gas formation. The procedure requires a full bladder. Do not visit the toilet 3-4 hours before the examination.
• It is possible to study the genitourinary system through the vagina or rectum in men. In this case, the preparation consists in the preliminary emptying of the rectum. It is best to use microclysters, for example, Norgalax or Microlax.
• There is no need to prepare for other types of ultrasound examination.

Additional features

If necessary, after completion of the procedure, it is possible to take the patient's blood or urine. At your request, the doctor can conduct an ECG at home. Immediately he will decipher the results and clarify the treatment in accordance with them. It is possible to install a device for permanent ECG recording.

In the medical center "Novomed" you can call the right specialist at home. Departure of the therapist, cardiologist, urologist, gynecologist is possible.

Services for children

• Ultrasound of the abdominal organs, genitourinary system, thyroid gland, soft tissues. To examine children under 6 years old, a candidate of medical sciences comes to the call.
• Echocardiography of the heart.
• Ultrasound of the hip joints.
• Ultrasound of the brain (neurosonography).
• Duplex scanning of the vessels of the head and neck.

If you want to perform high-quality ultrasound at home, contact the Novomed clinic. Doctors of the highest category and candidates of medical sciences work here. Experience in the specialty is at least 15 years. The prices for their services correspond to the quality and do not exceed the average for Moscow.

The procedure is carried out on expert-class equipment with a lot of additional features. The level of equipment allows you to conduct a survey in 4D format, to obtain super-clear images in a conventional study. This makes it possible to achieve high diagnostic accuracy even in difficult cases. You can count on it both in the clinic and on a call.

Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity at home has become a fairly popular procedure in recent years. In itself, such a study is necessary and important, and the possibility of conducting it at home makes ultrasound even more useful. The study determines possible pathologies in the described internal organs, their shape, overall dimensions, as well as the current state.

Different organs are examined, not just one. In particular, attention is paid to the pancreas, gallbladder, organs of the kidneys and liver, adrenal glands, and the spleen. Results can be as accurate as in the lab because of the state-of-the-art equipment and skilled technicians.

Indications for ultrasound

This study is carried out in the presence of certain symptoms in a person:

• Feeling of frequent pain in the abdomen;
• Regular regurgitation;
• The phenomena of hepatomegaly, splenomegaly;
• Feelings of nausea accompanied by vomiting;
• Upset chair;
• Enlarged lymph nodes;
• Changes in weight indicators (when a person loses weight, gains weight);
• temperature changes;
• Rash on the skin;
• Presence of changes in test results.

However, there may be other indications in which a medical specialist will prescribe an ultrasound scan. The possibility of conducting it at home saves a person from having to leave the house and go to a medical facility. This is all the more good when there are certain pain sensations, as well as discomfort, during which it is not very pleasant to go somewhere for a long time.

Rules for preparing for a home ultrasound

But, despite the fact that ultrasound will be carried out at home, it is necessary to prepare for it in a certain way, for which some standard rules are observed:

• A diet is required three days before the study is carried out, as a result of which gases will form less inside the intestines and the results of the study will be more accurate. But it is allowed to eat cereals, beef, poultry meat, boiled eggs, fish and cheese products, if they are not fatty. As for the use of liquids (ordinary water without gases!), You need to drink at least one and a half liters per day.
• The ultrasound procedure itself should be performed on an empty stomach so that at least 15 hours have passed since you last took food or drank.
• It is not recommended to use muffins, bread products, vegetables with fruits, dairy products, sweet desserts, oily fish, alcohol and soda, strong coffee with juices.
• In order for digestion to be better, it is recommended to use Festal, as well as Mezim three times a day, and this will help reduce the formation of gases. Drugs like disflatil, activated charcoal, simethicone, and so on will also help.
• For people who often suffer from constipation, the day before dinner, it is recommended to take some kind of laxative, such as guttalax, duphalac, or naturilax. You can insert a candle into the rectum along with glycerin, dulcolax, and so on.
• You should not resort to smoking before the ultrasound, chewing gum, and sucking on lollipops.

If a person is constantly taking any important medications, they should not be canceled. However, it is necessary to warn the doctor. If you have the results of the ultrasound that you underwent earlier, it would be nice to demonstrate them to a medical specialist so that he can correctly assess the dynamics of the changes that have occurred in the body.