Abdominal Ultrasonography: Procedure and Training

Abstract

In recent years, the use of abdominal ultrasonography (US) has become increasingly common in medical practice. Abdominal US has major advantages over other diagnostic modalities such as abdominal computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. US does not require ionizing radiation and we can obtain real-time imaging of abdominal organs by US. Furthermore, US allows correlation of the clinical impression with US findings. Thus, the demand for abdominal US has been growing rapidly. With increasing use of US in medical settings, the need for education and training has increased signifi cantly. However, US is a highly subjective modality compared with other examinations. Consequently, fears of ‘malpractice’ due to insufficient education and training commonly arise. Thus, considerable training and experience is required for optimal performance of abdominal US. In the current review article, we will attempt to explain for primary care physicians the methods for performing abdominal US. The authors believe that this article may be helpful to primary care physicians who want to learn more about the procedure.