Recently, doctors are increasingly appointing an ultrasound examination procedure. What this is - not everyone understands, and bulky acronyms are sometimes put into a state of shock.
How to decrypt abbreviations?
Understanding the principle of action and the mechanism of operation of the ultrasound scan (what it is and how to relate to it) will help with decoding: ultrasound dopplerography of blood vessels. This is a modern method of ultrasound examination of internal organs, based on the Doppler effect.
UZDG MAG - what is it? Scanning of the main arteries of the head, which allows you to analyze the speed and nature of the blood flow of the main vessels of this zone.
UZDG BCS - what is it? This is an informative method for detecting vascular abnormalities of diseases of the head and neck.
UZDG BCA - what is it? This is similar to the previous study. The term BCA (BCC) means the brachiocephalic artery (trunk). The method is aimed at studying a large-caliber arterial vessel extending directly from the aorta that carries blood to the brain. There are three brachiocephalic arteries: carotid, vertebral and subclavian.
Work mechanism
Doppler ultrasound is a combined study that combines the standard ultrasound procedure and the Doppler effect and allows you to view both the state of the vessels and the nature of the movement of blood through them. Ultrasound angiography is performed by means of sound waves penetrating to a certain depth of the patient's body. This procedure is absolutely painless. Sounds inaudible to the human ear are emitted and picked up by a special sensor. When reflected from the vascular wall, the information is converted by the computer into a black and white two-dimensional image. Doppler reflects on the screen moving objects (red blood cells) in the form of a color picture. When they are superimposed on each other, a picture of USDG is obtained.
Preliminary study preparation and safety
With the help of ultrasound diagnostics it is possible to determine the state and nature of blood flow in vessels of absolutely any caliber - from large veins and arteries to the smallest capillaries. This examination method refers to non-invasive procedures. For the study, there is no need to violate the integrity of the body structures (for example, as with laparoscopy, when a puncture is made to access the laparoscope, or a contrast study with an X-ray, when it is necessary to introduce a certain substance into the lumen of the vessel). This characteristic makes ultrasound examination as convenient as possible for the patient and for the doctor (there is no need for complex manipulations).
Before the study, there is no need for special preparation - the process of the procedure resembles a conventional ultrasound. The patient needs to take a comfortable position on the couch and expose the study area. From 20 minutes to 1 hour is allotted for the ultrasound scan.
This examination is shown to people of any age, it can be done even by newborns, because radiation exposure on the body does not occur. Ultrasound is considered a safe and highly informative research method.
Structures investigated using ultrasound scan. What is ultrasound angiography?
Using this medical procedure, you can identify the condition of the following body structures:
- vessel lumen;
- degree of tortuosity;
- the state of the vascular wall, its integrity and the presence of seals;
- pathological narrowing (stenosis);
- functional usefulness of the valve system of the veins and the presence of defects;
- protrusion of the vascular wall;
- obliteration (blockage) of the lumen of the vessel with a thrombus or foreign body;
- blood flow quality - availability, speed, turbulence.
Ultrasound angiography is the second name of ultrasound scan, more common, but less capacious.
What pathologies are prescribed for ultrasound ultrasound?
What is it, we sorted out. But under what pathological conditions is it advisable to prescribe this particular procedure in order to obtain the most complete and reliable information?
- Blood pressure spikes. This method is informative both in case of hypertensive crises, and in collaptoid states.
- Persistent, drug-resistant headache. You can prescribe ultrasound of the vessels of the brain and those patients who suffer from periodic migraine attacks.
- Angina pectoris, a feeling of lack of air, swelling - all these are signs of a malfunction of the cardiovascular system. They are direct indications for ultrasound angiography.
- Obvious signs of circulatory failure in the limbs (with diabetes mellitus, obliterating endarteritis, Raynaud's syndrome and other vascular and systemic pathologies).
- Repeated syncope and other signs of impaired brain activity. A sharp loss of vision.
- Persistent causeless insomnia.
- Aneurysm of the vessels.
- Phlebeurysm.
The ultrasound examination is carried out in real time, you won’t have to wait a long time for a conclusion.