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A duplex ultrasound is a test to see how blood moves through your arteries and veins.
See also:
Alternative NamesVascular ultrasound; Peripheral vascular ultrasound
How the test is performedThe test combines traditional ultrasound with Doppler ultrasonography. Regular ultrasound uses sound waves that bounce off blood vessels to create pictures. Doppler ultrasound records sound waves reflecting off moving objects, such as blood, to measure their speed and other aspects of how they flow.
There are different types of duplex ultrasound exams. Some include:
- Arterial and venous duplex ultrasound of the abdomen examines blood vessels and blood flow in the abdominal area.
- Carotid duplexultrasound looks at the carotid artery in the neck.
- Duplex ultrasound of the extremities looks at the arms or legs.
- Renal duplex ultrasound examines the kidneys and their blood vessels.
The test is done in the ultrasound or radiology department.
You may need to wear a medical gown. You will lie down on a table, and the ultrasound technician will spread a gel over the area being tested. The gel helps the sound waves get into your tissues.
A wand, called a transducer, is moved over the area being tested. This wand sends out the sound waves.
You need to stay still during the exam. You may be asked to lie in different body positions, or to take a deep breath and hold it.
A computer measures how the sound waves reflect back, and changes the sound waves into pictures. The Doppler creates a "swishing" sound, which is the sound of your blood moving through the arteries and veins.
Sometimes during a duplex ultrasound of the legs, the health care provider may calculate an ankle-brachial (ABI) index. You will need to wear blood pressure cuffs on your arms and legs for this test.
The ABI number is obtained by dividing the blood pressure in the ankle by the blood pressure in the arm. A value of 0.9 or greater is normal.
How to prepare for the testUsually, there is no preparation for a duplex ultrasound.
If you are having an ultrasound of your stomach area, you may be asked not to eat or drink after midnight. Tell the person doing the ultrasound exam if you are taking any medicines, such as blood thinners, that might affect the results of the test.
How the test will feelYou may feel some pressure as the wand is moved over the body, but there is usually no discomfort.
Why the test is performedDuplex ultrasound is a less invasive option to arteriography and venography. A duplex ultrasound can show how blood flows to many parts of the body. It can also tell the width of a blood vessel and reveal any blockages.
A duplex ultrasound can help diagnose the following conditions:
- Abdominal aneurysm
- Arterial occlusion
- Blood clot
- Carotid occlusive disease (See: Carotid duplex)
- Renal vascular disease
- Varicose veins
- Venous insufficiency
A renal duplex ultrasound can also be used after transplant surgery to see how well a new kidney is working.
Normal ValuesA normal result is normal blood flow through the veins and arteries. There is normal blood pressure and no sign of a narrowing or blockage of a blood vessel.
What abnormal results meanAn abnormal result depends on the specific area being examined. An abnormal result may be due to a blood clot or plaque buildup in a blood vessel.
What the risks areThere are no risks.
Special considerationsCigarette smoking may change the results of an ultrasound of the arms and legs, because nicotine can cause the arteries to shrink (constrict).
ReferencesMarx J. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2006.
Grainger RC, Allison D, Adam, Dixon AK. Diagnostic Radiology: A Textbook of Medical Imaging. 4th ed. Orlando, Fl: Churchill Livingstone; 2001.
Reviewed ByReview Date: 05/23/2010
David C. Dugdale, III., MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoA duplex ultrasound is a test to see how blood moves through your arteries and veins.
See also:
Alternative NamesVascular ultrasound; Peripheral vascular ultrasound
How the test is performedThe test combines traditional ultrasound with Doppler ultrasonography. Regular ultrasound uses sound waves that bounce off blood vessels to create pictures. Doppler ultrasound records sound waves reflecting off moving objects, such as blood, to measure their speed and other aspects of how they flow.
There are different types of duplex ultrasound exams. Some include:
- Arterial and venous duplex ultrasound of the abdomen examines blood vessels and blood flow in the abdominal area.
- Carotid duplexultrasound looks at the carotid artery in the neck.
- Duplex ultrasound of the extremities looks at the arms or legs.
- Renal duplex ultrasound examines the kidneys and their blood vessels.
The test is done in the ultrasound or radiology department.
You may need to wear a medical gown. You will lie down on a table, and the ultrasound technician will spread a gel over the area being tested. The gel helps the sound waves get into your tissues.
A wand, called a transducer, is moved over the area being tested. This wand sends out the sound waves.
You need to stay still during the exam. You may be asked to lie in different body positions, or to take a deep breath and hold it.
A computer measures how the sound waves reflect back, and changes the sound waves into pictures. The Doppler creates a "swishing" sound, which is the sound of your blood moving through the arteries and veins.
Sometimes during a duplex ultrasound of the legs, the health care provider may calculate an ankle-brachial (ABI) index. You will need to wear blood pressure cuffs on your arms and legs for this test.
The ABI number is obtained by dividing the blood pressure in the ankle by the blood pressure in the arm. A value of 0.9 or greater is normal.
How to prepare for the testUsually, there is no preparation for a duplex ultrasound.
If you are having an ultrasound of your stomach area, you may be asked not to eat or drink after midnight. Tell the person doing the ultrasound exam if you are taking any medicines, such as blood thinners, that might affect the results of the test.
How the test will feelYou may feel some pressure as the wand is moved over the body, but there is usually no discomfort.
Why the test is performedDuplex ultrasound is a less invasive option to arteriography and venography. A duplex ultrasound can show how blood flows to many parts of the body. It can also tell the width of a blood vessel and reveal any blockages.
A duplex ultrasound can help diagnose the following conditions:
- Abdominal aneurysm
- Arterial occlusion
- Blood clot
- Carotid occlusive disease (See: Carotid duplex)
- Renal vascular disease
- Varicose veins
- Venous insufficiency
A renal duplex ultrasound can also be used after transplant surgery to see how well a new kidney is working.
Normal ValuesA normal result is normal blood flow through the veins and arteries. There is normal blood pressure and no sign of a narrowing or blockage of a blood vessel.
What abnormal results meanAn abnormal result depends on the specific area being examined. An abnormal result may be due to a blood clot or plaque buildup in a blood vessel.
What the risks areThere are no risks.
Special considerationsCigarette smoking may change the results of an ultrasound of the arms and legs, because nicotine can cause the arteries to shrink (constrict).
ReferencesMarx J. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2006.
Grainger RC, Allison D, Adam, Dixon AK. Diagnostic Radiology: A Textbook of Medical Imaging. 4th ed. Orlando, Fl: Churchill Livingstone; 2001.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agois a diagnostic procedure to image the structures of the blood vessels and the flow of blood through these vessels.
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Diagnostic procedure that images the structures of the blood vesseles and flow of blood through these vessels is known as?
duplex ultrasound
What is the diagnostic procedure that images the structures of the blood vessels and the flow of blood through these vessels?
duplex ultrasound
What does duplex ultrasonography study?
A duplex ultrasonography studies the circulation of blood through the arteries and veins. It combines the traditional ultrasound, which produce sound waves that bounce off blood vessels to create pictures and the doppler ultrasound, which records sound waves reflecting off moving objects such as the blood.
What has the author Lori Green written?
Lori Green has written: 'Duplex/color Evaluation of Renal Artery Stenosis' 'Normal Venous Duplex Examination' 'Cardiac Ultrasound Physics And Instrumentation Workbook' 'General Physics' 'Ob/gyn Ultrasound P.a.s.s. Workbook' 'Abdominal Sonography P.a.s.s. Workbook' 'Quantative Methods Used to Determine Left Ventricular Function' 'Cardiac Physics' 'Introduction to Adult Echocardiography' 'Vascular Ultrasound Physics' 'Doppler Physics And Color Fundamentals' 'Vascular Ultrasound Physics And Instrumentation Workbook' 'Cardiac Ultrasound Physics' 'Cardiac Ultrasound Technology P.a.s.s. Workbook' 'Abdominal Ultrasound Protocol Manual' 'Ob/gyn Sonography' 'Vascular Ultrasound Technology'
True or false Duplex ultrasound is a diagnostic procedure to image the structures of the blood vessels and the flow of blood through these vessels?
True!
I had stripping of varicose veins 14 years ago Can I now get endovenous laser therapy on the same leg?
you need an ultrasound (duplex) scan done to see if the main vein or part of it is still there- that is the one which can have endovenous laser done to it. you need an ultrasound (duplex) scan done to see if the main vein or part of it is still there- that is the one which can have endovenous laser done to it.
What is involved in a duplex sonogram?
The procedure involves the use of highfrequency sound waves (ultrasound). The ultrasonic waves echo off of the carotid artery to produce a two-dimensional image on a monitor.
Is CAN protocol duplex or half duplex?
CAN is half-duplex. One differential pair means one message at a time.
What is the name of an apartment with a staircase?
duplex duplex
Is TCP a half duplex or ful duplex protocol?
TCP is usually used as full duplex, but in some case, half duplex can also be used in TCP.
Which data communication method is used for sending data in both directions at the same time?
Full Duplex
When you consider half-duplex and full-duplex Ethernet what are unique for half-duplex Ethernet?
Rahmat khairkhwa Half-duplex Ethernet operates in a shared collision domain. Half-duplex Ethernet has lower effective throughput.
