How are ultrasounds performed?
Ultrasounds may be done on an outpatient basis, or as part of inpatient care. Although each hospital may have specific protocols in place, generally, an ultrasound procedure follows this process: • A gel-like substance is smeared on the area of the body to undergo the ultrasound (the gel acts as a conductor). • Using a transducer, a tool that sends ultrasound waves, the ultrasound is sent through the patient’s body. • The sound from the transducer is reflected off structures inside the body, and the information from the sounds is analyzed by a computer. • The computer then creates a picture of these structures on a television screen. The moving pictures can be recorded on film videotape. • There are no confirmed adverse biological effects on patients or instrument operators caused by exposures to ultrasound.
