Eat before ultrasound of the abdominal cavity. What should be the preparation for an ultrasound of the liver and how is the study done? Where can I get the procedure

Before ultrasound of the abdominal cavity, it is necessary to exclude products that cause gas formation.

Ultrasound examination of organs is based on the use of the physical properties of high frequency acoustic waves. In an elastic medium, such as the tissues of the human body, for example, these waves obey the laws of linear optics.

They are also dissipated, reflected and absorbed. From the reflected part of the wave, you can determine through which media it has passed. In addition, using the Doppler effect, you can observe moving tissues and fluids in the cavities of the abdominal organs. It should be noted that excess water in some tissues of the patient can change the ultrasound picture.

Can I drink before the procedure

The only serious obstacle in the way of ultrasonic vibrations is gas. This is due to the fact that gases are not an elastic medium, and high-frequency sound waves in them quickly decay. The human intestine is a natural source of gas. This is primarily due to the vital activity of the microflora that lives in the digestive tract. Therefore, all the main activities in preparation for ultrasound of the abdominal organs should help reduce gas formation.

Below is a list of foods that lead to high gas production in the stomach and intestines:

• Milk;
• Bread, pies, gingerbread, cookies, buns;
• Fatty meat or fish;
• legumes;
• Not thermally processed vegetables or fruits;
• Sweets, confectionery.

The use of these products should be limited at least three or four days before the start of the study of the abdominal organs.

Among the products that are allowed to be used during the appointment of the examination, the following can be distinguished:

• Dishes based on lean meat or poultry;
• Lean fish;
• Porridge cooked in water;
• Low-fat cheeses.

You should not eat fried food. Of the cooking methods, it is better to give preference to boiling and steaming foods.

As for drinks, during the preparatory diet it is necessary to exclude juices, carbonated drinks, coffee, alcohol. You can drink tea with a little sugar, non-carbonated mineral water, as well as plain drinking water.

Directly on the day of the study itself, the patient must exclude the intake of any liquids, including plain water. An exception can only be the case when, simultaneously with the procedure of the abdominal cavity, it is planned to do an ultrasound of the bladder. This is because only a full bladder allows you to see its changes. Usually in such cases, the attending physician makes personal recommendations to his patient on preparing for a comprehensive ultrasound. Sometimes it is allowed to take a certain amount of ordinary non-carbonated water shortly before the procedure, or it is allowed to drink water during the procedure.

At the request of the ultrasound specialist, the patient sometimes needs to drink some water during the examination. This is necessary in order to stretch the walls of the stomach, which allows the medical specialist to take additional measurements and see some specific pathologies.

In all other cases, excess water in the stomach or intestines can mislead the specialist performing the ultrasound. Incorrect ultrasound data will prevent the attending physician from making an accurate diagnosis. Therefore, if it was not possible to refrain from drinking water, it is necessary to inform the health worker about this.

In order to quench your thirst before an ultrasound, you can slowly dissolve a small piece of ice. If there is no ice at hand, then you can take two or three small sips of water.

It should be remembered that in addition to food and liquids, one should refrain from smoking. The last cigarette can be smoked at least 4 hours in advance. If tobacco dependence is so strong that it causes intractable discomfort, then a nicotine patch should be used. Do not use nicotine gum to relieve cravings for cigarettes.

Ultrasound examination is a very responsible procedure. The information contained in the examination protocol enables the attending physician to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment. Therefore, the preparatory process plays an important role in the conduct of this study.

The passage of ultrasound in any medical institution requires compliance with some general rules. Before you go to the examination, be sure to take with you the results of the analyzes and the conclusions of the previous studies. Also, do not forget a sheet to lay it on the couch, and a towel (napkins) to clean the skin after the ultrasound. It is worth dressing so that there are no difficulties with access to the study site.

If preparation for ultrasound requires advance and thorough conduct, all recommendations should be followed responsibly. Properly conducted preparatory stage significantly affects the reliability of research results.

Preliminary preparation for ultrasound is not required in the case when the brain, heart, blood vessels, muscles, soft tissues, thyroid and thymus, hip joints are examined.

The results of ultrasound diagnostics of internal organs are strongly influenced by factors such as excessive gas formation and fecal masses in the intestines, overweight, the patient's hyperactivity during the scan, the presence of open wounds or dressings in the study area.

Most often there are problems with the intestines: if the patient has a predisposition to constipation or flatulence, then any ultrasound of the internal organs (pelvic organs or abdominal cavity) requires a special diet. A few days before the ultrasound, you should not eat foods that cause increased intestinal gas formation. You also need to take espumizan or activated charcoal, strictly adhering to the instructions written in the instructions. So, activated charcoal must be drunk for every 10 kg. weight of 1 tablet, i.e. patient weighing 70 kg. you need to take 7 tablets, this calculation is valid only for adults.

The effectiveness of ultrasound of the internal organs largely depends on the quality of preparation before the study: exclude gas-producing foods from the diet a few days before the procedure

Examination of the abdominal organs

Adult training

The spleen, liver, pancreas and gallbladder are examined after preliminary special preparation:

• Usually, it is recommended to undergo ultrasound diagnostics of the abdominal organs in the morning on an empty stomach. Before the ultrasound, scheduled for the second half of the day, you can not eat at least 5 hours.
• For three days before the procedure, you should not eat gas-producing foods, it is advisable to avoid eating raw vegetables and fruits, milk, legumes, fresh bakery products, as well as carbonated drinks.
• The diet should be combined with the intake of enterosorbents: you can take activated charcoal or espumizan.
• Deviations from the rules of preparation are possible if the patient has certain diseases. So, in case of diabetes mellitus or coronary heart disease, it is required to follow the recommended early dietary nutrition, it is not necessary to refuse to take prescribed medications.
• Before ultrasound diagnostics, alcohol, smoking and chewing gum should be abandoned, since all this can cause involuntary contractions of the gallbladder and, accordingly, the results of the study will be less reliable.
• Ultrasound and other procedures, such as fibrogastroscopy and colonoscopy, should be performed on different days.

Preparing children

The feeding regimen of an infant should not be changed. Choose the time of the examination so that the last meal is at least 2.5 hours before the ultrasound. The interval between food and diagnosis for formula-fed babies should be at least 3.5 hours, since it takes more time to digest milk mixtures. Vegetable or fruit-based mixtures are also digested for a long time, and therefore it is better to refuse to use them. If necessary, you can give the child to drink - only clean drinking unsweetened water, juices and teas can not be drunk.

Examination of the urinary system

Examination of the kidneys and adrenal glands, in general, requires the same preparations as for ultrasound of the abdominal organs. If the bladder is being examined along the way, it is necessary to drink about a liter of water 30 minutes before the ultrasound

Usually, preliminary preparation for ultrasound of the kidneys is not needed. The results of the diagnosis can only be affected by excess weight and the presence of intestinal gases. With a tendency to gas formation, a preparation similar to the preparation for ultrasound of the peritoneal organs is recommended. For babies of the first year of life, the diagnosis of the urinary organs is carried out 3 hours after eating.

The adrenal glands are examined on an empty stomach. For three days before the ultrasound, you need to follow a slag-free diet, i.e. refuse products of animal origin.

Examination of the pelvic organs

Adult training

Women are assigned ultrasound diagnostics of the pelvic organs to assess the condition of the bladder, uterus and appendages. As a rule, such an ultrasound is performed on the 6-7th day of the cycle. The date of the appointment is determined by the specialist with whom you are observed. Female ultrasound can be performed in two ways:

1. The transabdominal method requires prior preparation of the bladder. Within an hour, you should drink liquid, the volume of which should be at least 1 liter.
2. Preparation for ultrasound conducted by the transvaginal method is not needed. Diagnosis is carried out after complete emptying of the bladder.

Ultrasound examination of pregnant women in the first trimester is carried out with moderate filling of the bladder, it is enough to drink half a liter of non-carbonated water 30-40 minutes before the ultrasound. Subsequent ultrasound examinations during pregnancy can be performed without prior preparation.

In the male population, the prostate gland and bladder are examined by transabdominal and transrectal methods. Preparation for a male transabdominal ultrasound is the same as for an ultrasound examination of women in this way. Transrectal ultrasound of the prostate involves a cleansing enema before a scheduled examination.

In men, pelvic examination can be performed transrectally. Preparation for such a procedure is required - you should clean the intestines in advance

Preparing children

How to prepare for a pelvic ultrasound in children? How much fluid should you drink? According to the recommendations of doctors, the study of the bladder should be carried out after the child drinks from 200 ml. up to 800 ml. unsweetened water without gas. Such a difference in the required volume of fluid depends on the individual characteristics of the child's body. If the child cannot drink a large amount of liquid at a time, then you can take water in small portions 1.5 hours before the appointed time.

Ideally, by the time of the study, the baby should feel a strong desire to urinate. Infants do not need to observe the drinking regime, it is recommended to give the baby a drink 20 minutes before the procedure.

The scrotum in boys is examined without a preparatory stage, it is necessary to carry out standard hygiene measures. The study of the genital organs in girls is carried out by the transabdominal method. Preparation for ultrasound in this case corresponds to the scheme of preparation for the study of the bladder.

Examination of the stomach

Preparation for ultrasound of the stomach is in many ways similar to the recommendations described above. It is enough not to eat for 7-8 hours before the examination, while taking about half a liter of drinking water with you. First of all, an empty stomach is scanned, then, according to the instructions of the diagnostician, you need to drink liquid, which will allow the specialist to evaluate the work of the stomach. With the help of drunk water, visualization of the lower esophagus can be done well.

Diagnosis in infants excludes such a large break between meals, so a three-hour gap is enough, as in the study of the abdominal organs.

Examination of the mammary glands

Ultrasound examination of the mammary glands is usually prescribed on the 7th - 13th day of the cycle (the cycle begins on the first day of menstruation). Ultrasounds can be done at any time for women who have gone through menopause. In medical circles, it is believed that ultrasound diagnostics has the highest level of information in women under the age of 40 years. Older patients are assigned radiographic mammography. Preparation for ultrasound of the mammary glands is not needed. Before the examination, you can eat any food, you should give up alcohol and smoking.

Thyroid study

Ultrasound examination of the thyroid gland is carried out without special preparation. For the correct interpretation of the ultrasound data of the child, it is necessary to inform the sonologist of the height and weight of the small patient. If the baby has a strongly developed gag reflex, then it is better to come to the examination on an empty stomach so as not to provoke undesirable consequences.

You have ordered a coupon for an abdominal ultrasound, but you do not know how to prepare for this procedure?

What to take with you to the clinic?

• Documents: coupon, referral, results of previous studies, passport, etc.
• Napkins. During an ultrasound, a special gel is applied to the patient's body. It does not leave stains on clothes, but it is better to take wipes with you - with them you will remove all remnants of the gel from the body at the end of the examination.
• Sheet. Medical centers are equipped differently. Just in case, take a sheet with you so that you do not have to lie on an uncovered couch.
• Replaceable shoes, shoe covers. Depending on the requirements of the medical institution where the study will take place, the patient may need to change shoes. In some medical centers, you can buy shoe covers on the spot and put them on the shoes in which you came.

Before the procedure: at home

Depending on which organs will be examined, the patient may be prescribed one or another diet. Strictly follow the recommendations received from the doctor. General rules:

1. If you are going to have a liver, spleen, gallbladder, or pancreas exam, avoid fatty foods for the evening before the exam day. For 8-12 hours before the ultrasound, it is recommended to refrain from any food.

2. If you are having a kidney exam, it may be recommended to drink 4-6 cups of water an hour before the procedure. To avoid the accumulation of gases in the intestines, it is recommended to refrain from any food 8-12 hours before the ultrasound.

3. If you are going to study the aorta, it is recommended to refrain from any 8-12 hours before the ultrasound.

Tip: In order not to suffer from hunger, try to sign up for the study in the morning. In this case, most of the "fasting" you will spend in a dream.

The doctor may prescribe special medications that should be taken on the eve of the study. It can be:

• medicines to improve digestion (Mezim, Festal),
• drugs to reduce gas formation (Simethicone, activated charcoal)
• laxatives / suppositories / cleansing enema for constipation.

What is not recommended to eat and drink before an ultrasound?

Before the examination during the day, do not eat foods that provoke gas formation in the intestines:

• Try to avoid salty and fried foods, as well as any foods that can provoke intestinal irritation.
• Do not drink alcoholic beverages.
• Drink enough, but not too much water.
• It is better to avoid juices, sodas, milk, tea, coffee.
• Do not eat raw vegetables, legumes, baked goods, dairy products, and sweets.

An example of a diet that reduces gas formation:

• whole grain cereals: buckwheat, barley, oats, flaxseed,
• soft-boiled eggs (1 pc. per day),
• low fat cheese,
• lean meat (chicken, beef) - boiled or steamed,
• lean fish - baked, boiled, steamed,
• water, tea.

You need to eat in small portions, 4-5 sittings per day.

Before the procedure: in the medical center

• Before the start of the examination, check with your doctor for any questions you may have regarding the procedure.
• In some centers, patients need to sign an agreement for an abdominal ultrasound. Read the information carefully, if there are no questions, sign the document.
• Before the procedure, it is advisable not to smoke and remove all jewelry (for example, navel piercing) - this can distort the results.
• In some clinics, the patient is offered to change into a medical shirt, but in most cases, the examination can be done in ordinary clothes, exposing only the area under study.
• Tell the technologist about all the drugs that you took before the study.

Doctor's advice:

Following these simple rules, ultrasound will be a quick and absolutely painless procedure for you, not accompanied by any manifestations of discomfort.

The peculiarities of this study are that their ideal conduct requires the absence of gases in the intestinal loops. That is why patients are prescribed a special diet, which must be followed. Also included in the preparation are cleansing the intestines.

Diet before ultrasound of the stomach and intestines

It includes foods such as poultry, beef or fish, baked, boiled or steamed. Of the side dishes, it is recommended to eat cereal cereals: buckwheat, barley, oatmeal and flaxseed, while it is important that they are cooked in water. Of the other products, low-fat cheese and no more than one soft-boiled egg per day are allowed. To adhere to such a diet should be at least three days before the study, or even earlier. Food should be taken four or five times a day with an interval of 3-4 hours between meals. Water drinkers will have to reduce fluid intake, and those who drink little, drink more - in just a day it is worth drinking about 1.5 liters of water. Don't eat too much before going to bed, as this will disrupt the digestive system. Ultrasound can be prescribed, both in the morning on an empty stomach, and in the afternoon, then a light breakfast is allowed. In general, 12 hours before the study, it is recommended to stop eating, and 2 hours before the diagnosis, do not drink at all.

Important: there are products that absolutely cannot be taken during the preparatory program for ultrasound of the abdominal organs. It is necessary to completely exclude the use of legumes, milk and dairy products, sweets, raw vegetables and fruits, bread and pastries, meats and fish containing fat, carbonated drinks, strong coffee and juices, as well as alcohol. Among other things, you should not smoke a lot, if possible, it is better to refrain from smoking altogether.

Medical preparation for ultrasound

If you have an increased tendency to gas formation, then you can additionally drink a course of drugs. Your doctor will prescribe them for you. Usually they resort to taking activated charcoal or espumizan, while the scheme will be individual for each. The doctor may also prescribe substances that improve digestion: mezim or festal.

Among other things, at least 16 hours before the examination, laxatives are prescribed orally or in the form of microclysters, which are produced in the form of rectal suppositories. It is also necessary to make a cleansing enema at least 12 hours before the ultrasound of the stomach and intestines. If we are talking about a directed study of the intestine, then there will be more enemas - their exact number and the time of their production will be prescribed by the doctor, because everything is individual here.

Other restrictions before ultrasound of the stomach and intestines

Ultrasound of the abdominal organs is not done if in the previous three days before that you underwent an x-ray of an organ or underwent an endoscopic examination: gastro- or colonoscopy.

If you are prescribed a permanent intake of any drugs that cannot be canceled (for example, hormone therapy), then you need to inform your doctor about this, as well as the doctor of ultrasound diagnostics. Before the study, about a day before, it is recommended to stop taking antispasmodic drugs, if possible.

If you smoke, then you can’t do this before an ultrasound either, try not to smoke on the day of the study until you have it done. The fact is that there is an opposite reaction here than to antispasmodics: nicotine can cause spasm of the gallbladder ducts, gas formation in the intestines, as well as spam of the pancreatic ducts.

It is necessary to prepare for the examination of the abdominal cavity in advance. After all, this affects the quality of the diagnostics. With ultrasound, you can see the following organs: stomach, gallbladder, spleen, liver, pancreas, intestines, kidneys, ureters, bladder, uterus (in women), prostate (in men), adrenal glands.

Preparation for the procedure

When signing up for an examination, you need to find out in advance what you need to do before the ultrasound, what you can eat. This will determine how accurate the results of the procedure will be. Foods that cause bloating and flatulence are banned. Also, the patient will need to stop taking certain medications.

In some cases, the doctor may recommend a quality bowel cleansing. It must be remembered that a few days before the procedure, it is necessary to drink herbs that help improve digestion and reduce gases. For these purposes, tea from chamomile, mint, lemon balm is suitable.

Some doctors, answering the question whether it is possible to eat before an abdominal ultrasound, advise drinking enzyme preparations for several days before the examination. It can be ordinary activated carbon or Festal.

Necessary diet: how and when to start training

Nutrition should be balanced and complete. Don't take long breaks between meals. It is necessary to plan your day in such a way that food enters the stomach every 3-4 hours. You need to eat at least 4 times a day.

Every day the patient should eat porridge and meat. You can also include 1 boiled egg, cheese in the daily menu. It is allowed to drink only weak tea and water without gas.

If a person has a digestive problem, frequent constipation, then it is better to stick to a diet for 5 days. It is desirable that 8-12 hours pass between the examination and the last meal, so it makes no sense to find out from the doctor whether it is possible to have breakfast before an abdominal ultrasound.

Examination of the smallest patients

Infants and preschool children are often prescribed ultrasound diagnostics. Babies need to be prepared for the procedure in much the same way as adults. But it is difficult for them to endure more than 8 hours without food before the examination. Therefore, they have different requirements.

Breastfeeding children do not feed for only 2-4 hours prior to the study. Water is not given 1 hour before the procedure. The time for ultrasound is selected in such a way that the examination is carried out before the upcoming next feeding.

For children under the age of 3 years, it is advisable to skip 1 feeding before the procedure. But they can also be examined in the early morning (before breakfast). Children aged 3 years and older should fast for about 6 hours before the procedure. That is why the examination is carried out in the morning, while the child has not yet eaten. Drinking is allowed no later than 1 hour before the procedure.

The rest of the rules regarding what you can eat before an abdominal ultrasound remain unchanged. It is not necessary for children to give fruit and vegetable purees the day before the study. They may take too long to digest.

List of prohibited products

Before the examination, the patient should do everything possible to minimize the likelihood of gas formation in the intestines. Therefore, many products are banned. Among them:

• black bread and muffins (the amount of white bread must be minimized);
• fresh fruits (you will have to give up apricots, apples, peaches, pears, etc.);
• legumes: lentils, peas, beans;
• dairy products;
• whole milk;
• vegetables: you can not potatoes, cabbage, onions, asparagus, etc.;
• you can not any spices that irritate the intestines (these are: coriander, cumin, pepper, cinnamon);
• fatty varieties of fish and meat;
• alcohol and carbonated drinks.

A person who is going for an examination must adhere to it for three days. Only in this case, you can count on the fact that the diagnosis will be carried out correctly.

Preparation: three days before the examination

Everyone, on their own or with the help of a doctor, must figure out what to do before an abdominal ultrasound. What you can eat, you need to find out separately. For three days it is necessary to change the diet. Food should enter the stomach 4-5 times a day. Breaks between meals should be no more than 4 hours, except at night. You need to drink more than 1.5 liters of water daily.

All foods that fall under the ban should be excluded from the diet. You can eat the following:

• cereals on the water: barley, oatmeal, buckwheat, flaxseed;
• boiled eggs (no more than 1 pc. per day);
• lean beef, skinless chicken, fish;
• lean cheese.

All products can be baked, steamed, boiled, stewed.

Patients who suffer from flatulence are prescribed special drugs. The doctor may advise taking activated charcoal, Enteros-gel or Espumizan. It is also easy to prevent gas formation with the help of enzymes such as Creon, Mezim, Pangrol, Festal.

The day before the ultrasound

On the day preceding the examination, one must be very careful about what to do before an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity. What you can eat, you must choose with great care.

Throughout the day, the patient can adhere to generally accepted recommendations and eat cereals and lean meat. But on the eve of the study, we must once again remember whether it is possible to eat before an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity. Even more stringent restrictions become in the evening. Starting from 20:00, it is advisable to completely refuse food. Therefore, it must be eaten before this hour.

In the evening, doctors advise to give up meat and fish products. They can take a long time to digest and interfere with a full examination. If a person has a tendency to constipation, then he will be prescribed a laxative. It will need to be drunk around 4 pm. This time will be enough for a complete bowel cleansing before an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity. What you can eat and what drugs should be taken, the patient must remember. But the doctor must prescribe the funds. It can be "Senade", "Senadexin" and so on. Also, such patients are recommended to start drinking Espumizan, Meteospazmil or Simethicone the day before the examination.

If laxatives did not have the expected effect, then mechanical cleaning is necessary - an enema.

Examination Day

If the procedure is scheduled for the morning hours, then it makes no sense to find out what you can eat before an abdominal ultrasound. Breakfast should be skipped. The exception is only those cases when the examination will be carried out in the evening. In this situation, you can eat a light breakfast.

Experts advise drinking activated charcoal (about 10 tablets) or 2 capsules of Simethicone before the procedure. This must be done a couple of hours before the examination. People suffering from excessive gas formation, it is advisable to do an enema in the morning.

Immediately before the ultrasound, you can not smoke, drink water, chew gum, take antispasmodics, dissolve lollipops. All this can affect the diagnostic results.

How is the procedure carried out

Many people worry about what to eat before an abdominal ultrasound and forget to ask about how the procedure is performed. She is absolutely painless. The doctor examines the internal organs with the help of a contact sensor. For the examination, the patient lies on the couch.

For a standard examination:

• look at the liver and gallbladder;
• assess the vessels;
• check the condition of the stomach, pancreas.

The rest of the authorities are checked if it is indicated in the direction for the examination.

Immediately after completion of the examination, the patient can return to their usual way of life. Further examination and treatment will be prescribed by the doctor who sent the patient for this diagnosis.