What can I eat or drink before an abdominal ultrasound?

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Nguyen Viet Thu - Doctor of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine - Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital.

Abdominal ultrasound is done to check the organs inside the abdomen. The image quality of an abdominal ultrasound that can be used to diagnose disease depends largely on preparation, including what the patient is asked to eat or drink prior to the abdominal ultrasound.

Abdominal ultrasound is one of the most used ultrasound techniques in diagnosis and treatment. This is a simple and easy to perform form of ultrasound, often indicated in screening for aneurysms of the abdominal aorta – the main blood vessel that supplies blood to the entire lower body. However, this does not mean that this technique is only used to diagnose aneurysms, but in fact, abdominal ultrasound can be used to examine many other tissues and organs specifically:
● Gallbladder
● Intestines
Kidneys
Liver
Pancreas
Spleen
Abdominal ultrasound can help doctors determine the cause of stomach pain or bloating and check for the presence of kidney stones or tumors in the liver , pancreas,...
In the screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm mentioned above, the doctor will order ultrasound in case the patient is male and regularly smokes. This method is not effective for women or men who have never smoked.

Similar to other types of ultrasound, abdominal ultrasound is a non-invasive form, does not use ionizing radiation, so it is safe for patients. This is also the reason many people prefer to use this technique for fetal ultrasound. However, many experts also recommend not to use it without a doctor's prescription. The heat from the ultrasound probe can heat the tissues they come into contact with, causing damage to certain types of sensitive cells.
If the physical examination reveals abnormalities, the doctor may assign the patient an abdominal ultrasound to make accurate conclusions about some of the following issues:
● Ultrasound determines whether there is an abnormality. presence of blood clot or not?
● Ultrasound to observe abnormal enlargement of some organs such as liver, spleen or kidney...
Intra-abdominal effusion.
● Detect the presence of kidney stones, bladder stones, gallstones,...
Check for hernias
● Screen for liver cancer, acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis and appendicitis.
In addition, abdominal ultrasound can be used to help doctors or technicians perform some procedures such as:
Biopsy of abdominal tissues: Ultrasound helps determine the exact location of tissue removal. biopsy
Drain fluid from tumors or abscesses
● Check the flow and rate of blood flow in the blood vessels of the abdomen.

Many people always wonder if it is necessary to fast and drink before the ultrasound? Usually patients will be advised to fast for about 8-12 hours before the ultrasound. Undigested food in the stomach and urine in the bladder can interfere with the transmission of sound waves, resulting in unclear ultrasound images.
In the case of an ultrasound of the gallbladder, liver, pancreas or spleen, the patient can be advised to have a fat-free meal in the evening or in the morning depending on when the ultrasound is performed:
● If the ultrasound is done in the morning In the morning, the patient is not allowed to use foods containing oil and fat in the evening before, besides from the time of going to bed until after the ultrasound, the patient is not allowed to eat any food. other.
● If the ultrasound schedule is prepared in the afternoon, the doctor or ultrasound technician will ask the patient to absolutely not eat oily and fatty foods at breakfast and stop eating anything before the scheduled time. Ultrasound at least 4 hours.
● For drinks: Patients can drink fat-free beverages before the time of ultrasound.
Here are the foods that are allowed and not allowed for at least 4 hours before the ultrasound:

Abdominal ultrasound is one of the most common and easy to perform ultrasound techniques. Usually, before performing an abdominal ultrasound, doctors will ask the patient to fast for at least 4 hours before the ultrasound. In addition, during the previous meal, they will also have to minimize the amount of oil or fat put into the body to get the clearest ultrasound image.

Currently, there are many medical facilities that apply ultrasound technology in the early diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Vinmec International General Hospital system has been using the most modern generations of color ultrasound machines today in examining and treating patients. One of them is GE Healthcarecar's Logig E9 ultrasound machine with full options, HD resolution probes for clear images, accurate assessment of lesions. In addition, a team of experienced doctors and nurses will greatly assist in the diagnosis and early detection of abnormal signs of the body in order to provide timely treatment.
Ths.Bs Nguyen Viet Thu has more than 20 years of experience working in the field of diagnostic imaging, former Secretary of the Department of Radiology in Hanoi, directing the lower level in the field of Diagnostic Imaging. Currently, the doctor is working at the Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine - Vinmec Times City International Hospital.
Customers can directly go to Vinmec Health system nationwide to visit or contact the hotline here for support.