The technology is incredibly safe, and it mimics the technology used in sonars and radars, where sound waves are sent so they can travel through soft tissue and fluids, but these bounce back or echoes off, denser surfaces, this is how images are created.

The sound frequency used in ultrasounds is inaudible to humans, for diagnostic purposes the ultrasound is usually between 2 – 18 MHZ. The frequency is constantly adjusted during the procedure depending on how deep the tissue or organ that needs to be imaged is, as high-frequency ultrasounds are ideal for superficial imaging, while low frequencies can penetrate deeper.

Why Are Ultrasounds Performed?

Ultrasound examinations can help diagnose a variety of conditions and assess organ damage following an illness or trauma.

Doctors use ultrasound when patients have any of the following symptoms:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Infection

What Are the Benefits of Ultrasound Examinations?

The versatility of this diagnostic imaging technology makes it a great ally for emergency doctors to diagnose and evaluate the extent of damage internal organs have suffered, as well as examine the patient’s blood flow by performing the ultrasound on the blood vessels.

Among the many benefits of this type of imaging we have:

• Most ultrasounds are non-invasive as there is no use of needles or injections
• Although ultrasound scanning may be uncomfortable for some patients there is no pain associated with the procedure
• The technology is widely available and less expensive than other imaging methods
• It is extremely safe, and it does not use ionizing radiation
• It provides clearer imagining of soft tissues that do not show well in other methods such as x-rays
• It can be used on pregnant women and infants with no negative side effects
• It provides real-time imagining making a great guiding tool when performing minimally invasive procedures such as needle biopsies and fluid aspirations