6/4/25 Ultrasound

Question 1

Define diagnostic ultrasound

Answer 1

The use of high-frequency sound waves to localize and characteristics tissues of the body

Question 2

What is the term used to define a series of repeating mechanical pressure waves that propagate through a medium?

Answer 2

Sound waves

Question 3

What is the distance for a complete cycle called?

Answer 3

Wavelength

Question 4

What is the # of cycles per seconds called (measured in Hertz)

Answer 4

Frequency

Question 5

What are the 2 main components of the ultrasound unit?

Answer 5

The transducer and the ultrasound machine

Question 6

Which ultrasound component contains a crystal?

Answer 6

The transducer

Question 7

When would a curvilinear transducer be used?

Answer 7

To visualize deeper structures (liver, kidneys, aorta)

Question 8

When would a linear transducer be used?

Answer 8

To get better visualization of superficial structures (veins, arteries, used on pediatric patients as well)

Question 9

When would a transvaginal transducer be used?

Answer 9

To visualize the uterus and ovaries

Question 10

Define echogenicity

Answer 10

The capability of an organ or structure to reflect back sound waves

Question 11

The more ultrasound waves reflected back, the ______ the structure appears.

Answer 11

Brighter

Question 12

Define hyperechoic

Answer 12

More echogenic (brighter)

Question 13

Define isoechoic

Answer 13

Same echogenicity (brighter gray)

Question 14

Define hypoechoic

Answer 14

Less echogenic (gray)

Question 15

Define anechoic

Answer 15

Lack of echoes (black)

Question 16

What structures are anechoic (black)?

Answer 16

Fluid/water/blood

Question 17

What structures are hypoechoic (gray)?

Answer 17

Complex fluid (pus), organs, soft tissues

Question 18

What structures are isoechoic (brighter gray/gray)?

Answer 18

Soft tissues, organs

Question 19

What structures are hyperechoic (bright)?

Answer 19

Bones, air, fat

Question 20

What ultrasound artifact happens when the object nearly completely absorbs/reflects the ultrasound beam, so the deeper structures are obscured on the ultrasound?

Answer 20

Acoustic Shadowing

Stones (gallstones, kidney stones), bones, calcification, metal

Question 21

What ultrasound artifact results in increased echogenicity of echoes deep to structures that transmit sound well (so no reflection back to transducer)

Answer 21

Acoustic enhancement

Cystic masses

Question 22

What are the 3 kinds of ways ultrasound can be viewed?

Answer 22

Single shots
Cines (video clips)
In real time

Question 23

What is the doppler effect?

Answer 23

Sound that reflects off of a moving object undergoes a change in frequecy

Question 24

Will frequency be higher or lower further away from the probe?

Answer 24

Lower

Question 25

Will the frequency be higher or lower closer to the probe?

Answer 25

Higher

Question 26

How can ultrasounds utilize the doppler effect?

Answer 26

To tell whether blood is moving towards the transducer or away from the transducer

Question 27

What doppler allows ultrasound to show if there is blood flow within a vessel (can detect blood movement)?

Answer 27

Pulsed doppler Can tell us direction and velocity of blood flow

Question 28

What doppler can calculate the direction of blood flow and plot it on a graph?

Answer 28

Spectral doppler

Question 29

What doppler allows the transducer to show the direction of blood flow and assign a color to it?

Answer 29

Color doppler

Question 30

What doppler combines a color doppler with gray-scale ultrasound imaging?

Answer 30

Duplex doppler

Question 31

How would the narrowing of a vessel affect velocity?

Answer 31

Narrowing of a vessel leads to a high velocity flow. Most commonly caused by atherosclerosis

Question 32

What are the pros of ultrasound?

Answer 32

No radiation Portable Real time Imaging of superficial structures

Question 33

What are the cons of ultrasound?

Answer 33

Operator dependent Body Habitus (depth of wave penetration)

Question 34

What can be imaged with ultasound?

Answer 34

Abdomen (liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen) Kidneys/bladder Female pelvis Thyroid Breast Neonatal head DVT