Doppler ultrasound uses ultrasound enhanced by the Doppler effect to provide images of internal areas of the body, including developing fetuses during pregnancy. It is also used to investigate medical conditions such as blood flow blockages and atherosclerosis. Patients typically lie down and a transducer is used to obtain images from different angles. Results can be unreliable due to patient movement, bone obstruction, obesity, or irregular heart rhythms.
Doppler ultrasound, or Doppler ultrasound, is a medical imaging technique that uses ultrasound enhanced by the Doppler effect. The Doppler effect generally uses a change in the pitch of sound waves that are measured by an ultrasound receiving device such as a transducer. Colored Doppler images often provide useful information about the flow and movement of blood and internal areas of the body. This technique is commonly used during pregnancy to provide detailed pictures of a developing baby. Other uses for Doppler ultrasound can include visual examinations of tendons, joints and muscles, as well as internal organs.
Pregnant women may have an ultrasound for several reasons, such as measuring blood flow through the umbilical cord and evaluating the heart or brain of the unborn baby. This test usually shows the size of a developing fetus and can provide information about the health of the fetus, such as how much oxygen it is receiving. Doctors can identify health conditions in some pregnant mothers, such as sickle cell disease or preeclampsia, with the help of this test.
Some doctors have patients undergo Doppler ultrasound to investigate a variety of medical conditions. Patients with leg pain may have intermittent claudication and atherosclerosis which can appear on a Doppler ultrasound image in some cases. Varicose veins and other blood vessel abnormalities can be studied with this form of ultrasound. Blood clots and blood flow blockages can be identified with Doppler ultrasound in some cases. Some doctors use this form of ultrasound to provide images that guide their work during surgical procedures such as ablation of blood vessels.
A patient usually lies supine or on their side during an ultrasound. Medical professionals typically apply a special Doppler gel to the skin near an area where images are desired. A transducer is typically placed against the gel-coated skin and moved to obtain Doppler ultrasound images from different desired angles. Most Doppler ultrasound tests are completed in 30-60 minutes. Doctors may recommend that patients not wear jewelry during a test to reduce the chance of image distortion.
In some cases, patients have unreliable results from a Doppler ultrasound due to several factors. Patients who do not remain still during the procedure while recording images can cause image distortion. In some cases, the bones of the body can block the ultrasound signals used during the test. Reliable ultrasound images can be more difficult to obtain in obese individuals, and irregular heart rhythms can cause abnormal images of blood vessels.
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