Unfortunately, problems with the digestive organs of a modern person are very common. This is due to the fast pace of life, malnutrition and low physical activity. Mostly people complain of heartburn, abdominal pain, flatulence, heaviness, nausea (sometimes with vomiting). With these symptoms, the doctor may prescribe an ultrasound of the liver and gall bladder. How to prepare for the study, they usually tell in a medical institution, but these rules are so simple that if you want, they are easy to learn independently and remember for the future.
Why is ultrasound of the gallbladder and abdominal organs prescribed?
Ultrasound is an informative study to evaluate the functions of many organs. It does not bring discomfort or pain, is performed quickly, and the result is ready immediately after the procedure. With symptoms of gastroenterological diseases, patients are often prescribed ultrasound of the gallbladder. How to prepare for the study, and with what symptoms is it carried out? The main rule is to perform the procedure on an empty stomach, but in each case there are individual nuances.
Indications for this type of ultrasound in adults:
- abdominal pain on the right side;
- taste of bitterness in the mouth;
- frequent nausea or vomiting;
- skin color in yellow;
- trauma to the abdomen;
- surgery on the gallbladder or liver.
It is important to know how to properly prepare for an ultrasound of the gallbladder so that it is as informative as possible. Children are tested in the same cases, as well as with prematurity, suspected congenital malformations of the internal organs, and simply for preventive purposes.
Ultrasound of the liver and gallbladder: how to prepare for the study?
If an ultrasound scan is performed in the morning, the patient needs to arrive at the medical center on an empty stomach. On the eve it is better to give preference to a light dinner without fatty and fried foods. You can drink a small amount of water on the day of the examination. If a person is assigned several studies of the digestive system on the same day (for example, fibrogastroduodenoscopy or irrigoscopy), then an ultrasound scan is performed in front of them. This is due to the fact that during endoscopic procedures, air is specially injected into the stomach and intestines of a person for better visualization.
In addition to food restrictions, it is advisable to refrain from smoking before research. Nicotine and other toxic constituents of tobacco smoke slightly narrow the bile ducts, and this may affect the results of ultrasound of the gallbladder. How to prepare for the study, if it is scheduled for afternoon? In this case, it is enough to maintain a pause in meals for 5-6 hours.
Is nutrition important in the coming days before the study?
The diet of a person a couple of days before an ultrasound can affect the reliability of the procedure, therefore it is better to adhere to a certain diet during this period. It consists in the rejection of products that increase gas production. These include:
- legumes;
- black bread;
- cabbage;
- milk and dairy products;
- high sugar fruits (grapes, melon, banana);
- carbonated soft drinks;
- alcohol;
- strong black tea and coffee.
For the same purpose, it is necessary to reduce the consumption of sweets, and it is better to drink all drinks without adding sugar. This will help the doctor to conduct an ultrasound scan of the gallbladder as informative as possible. How to prepare if the patient is a child? The general principles remain the same, but age-specific features must be taken into account.
Preparing young and middle-aged children
Young children can not always withstand a feeling of hunger, in addition, there is no urgent need for this before an ultrasound. If the age of the child is from 12 to 36 months, then it is enough for him not to eat 4 hours before the study and not to drink water for about 1 hour. Older children should refrain from snacks for 6-8 hours and do not drink 60 minutes before the procedure. Parents must take food and some kind of drink for the child to the medical center so that after the diagnosis they can refresh themselves.
What to do if the doctor has prescribed a comprehensive examination of the abdominal organs? How to prepare for an ultrasound of the gallbladder, pancreas, liver, spleen? In the same way - to come, having sustained the necessary break in food intake. Do not forget about the correction of the menu a couple of days before the ultrasound. For any type of such research, you must take the previous conclusions with you. This will allow the doctor to pay special attention to problem areas and track changes in the condition of the child.
Ultrasound of the gallbladder: how to prepare for a baby?
Newborns cannot be tested on an empty stomach. Therefore, if the doctor has prescribed a similar diagnostic procedure, from the last meal you need to pause for about 2 hours. If the baby is breastfed, this interval can be slightly reduced (by about 30 minutes), as breast milk is digested faster than adapted formulas.
Ultrasound with choleretic breakfast - features of the procedure
In case of impaired functional activity of the gallbladder or suspicion of this, an ultrasound with a choleretic breakfast may be recommended to the patient. It allows you to study in detail the activity of the body and assess the presence of pathologies in it.
First, the study is carried out on an empty stomach, after which the patient needs to eat a choleretic breakfast. It can be 2 yolks in raw form, drinking yogurt or a glass of sour cream. Repeated ultrasounds are performed 5, 20 and 45 minutes after a meal. The patient may be asked to roll over on his side, back, stand up or sit down for better visualization.
Some children fidget on the couch during the study, because they can tickle from the sensor of the device. Usually this does not prevent the doctor from considering everything, because it is important not to lie so calmly during the procedure as to prepare for an ultrasound of the liver, gall bladder, pancreas so that there is not too much air in the abdominal cavity. In the case of children, such a task rests entirely with the parents.
Do I need to take carminative drugs?
Due to increased gas formation, the result of the study may be distorted, since it will be difficult for the doctor to examine in detail the internal organs of the patient. If a person does not suffer from frequent constipation, intestinal colic and bloating, usually a special diet before ultrasound of the liver and gall bladder is enough to reduce flatulence. How to prepare a patient if he has a tendency to such pathological conditions? You can take special drugs that have a carminative effect a day before the examination.
These are harmless medicines based on simethicone and similar substances. The tool does not enter into biochemical reactions in the body, it acts physically, reducing surface tension. As a result, the air bubbles formed in the intestine merge with each other and burst, and the person feels relief. The medicine is so safe that it is prescribed even for newborns with intestinal colic.
Ultrasound Safety
Ultrasound is one of the safest and most painless types of examinations in medicine. To date, there is not a single proven fact of harm from this diagnostic procedure to humans. If necessary, it can be performed immediately after the birth of the baby, including ultrasound of the gallbladder, how to prepare for which, as described above.
This procedure is prescribed even for pregnant women (at all times), which also indicates a minimal risk of negative effects on the body. The study is informative and painless, which is important in the diagnosis of childhood diseases.
You can get the most objective research results only by knowing how to prepare for an ultrasound of the liver, gall bladder, pancreas and other abdominal organs. Simple rules will save the patient time and money that he could spend on a second procedure.