Your doctor is sending your for an ultrasound. You have your referral, you’ve called Accurate Imaging Diagnostics to set up an appointment, and that’s it…right? For the most part, yes. But, for some ultrasounds you may be required to prepare.
GENERAL ULTRASOUND PREP
Always arrive 15 to 20 minutes before your scheduled appointment so that you have plenty of time to check-in with reception.
Bring your health card AND referral form
Very important to bring your health card and referral form with you to the appointment. The referral form gives us key pieces of information from your doctor to ensure we provide them with all necessary images.
It’s not that we don’t trust you when you tell us your doctor wants an ultrasound of your liver, but the referral form will tell us more than that. So yes, very important to bring your health card AND referral form.
Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing
You may be asked to wear a gown, depending on the type of exam you are having. Avoid wearing jewelry to your appointment, as you may be asked to remove it.
There is also a short list of ultrasounds that don’t require any extra prep outside of general. These include: musculoskeletal ultrasound, thyroid ultrasound, transvaginal ultrasound, and breast ultrasound.
If your ultrasound of choice was not listed above, keep reading!
ABDOMINAL ULTRASOUND PREP
Abdominal ultrasounds are requested to get a closer look at the gallbladder, the spleen, pancreas, kidneys, the aorta, and of course the liver.
Arrive with an empty stomach
Abdominal ultrasounds are quite straightforward when it comes to prep. We simply ask that you arrive with an empty stomach. By empty stomach we do require a truly empty stomach and not an ‘I’m still hungry’ empty stomach.
No food or water for the 8 hours before your appointment. We highly recommend booking an early appointment so the hunger doesn’t affect your day (or ours).
OBSTETRICAL, PELVIS AND PROSTATE ULTRASOUND PREP
The below the belt ultrasounds are also quite straightforward regarding prep.
Drink 1L of water about an hour before your appointment
To get ideal images, you will need to have a full bladder. We don’t need you bursting to pee, but drinking 1L of water about an hour before your appointment should do the trick.
And obviously don’t use the washroom in that hour before your appointment!
On a brighter note, you can eat until the moment you walk in the front door. Bringing food into the actual appointment is heavily frowned upon.
Ultrasounds, in general, are a painless imaging process. There’s no radiation risk like we see in X-Rays, and your entire appointment will usually only last between 20-50 minutes.
Obviously the time frame depends on a few variables, like the type of ultrasound and sometimes the position of what you’re looking for.
COVID PRECAUTIONS AND POLICIES
With COVID, comes extra expectations when prepping for your appointment – which is nothing new at this point.
Once you schedule your appointment, you will be asked to fill out our COVID questionnaire on our website. This is to ensure you do not have symptoms, have not travelled, and have not had contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID.
Maintain social distancing to keep our patients and staff as safe as possible
When you arrive for your appointment, instead of checking-in at reception, we ask that you call us from your car to let us know you have arrived.
We will then let you know when to come in. This allows us to maintain social distancing and keep our patients and staff as safe as possible.
To add on to maintaining social distancing, please arrive at the appointment alone. We know this can be a frustrating rule, but we all have to work together in this pandemic.
If a support person is required, please discuss with reception when booking your appointment.
As we’ve all heard a million times this past year… WEAR A MASK…please and thank you. No mask, no entry. It’s simple, it’s a bylaw, it’s the hottest new accessory.
And that’s what you need to know for your ultrasound. We send the results and images right to your doctor who will then get in touch. We work with some great referring physicians in the area and continue to be the place to be when it comes to ultrasounds in Thornhill.
Call Accurate Imaging Diagnostics for all your ultrasound needs.
PREPARING FOR YOUR ULTRASOUND
