Question Bank – Ultrasound Basics

Which of the following descriptions of ultrasound frequency and probe selection is most accurate?

The following image is taken in the sagittal plane in the abdominal right upper quadrant.  In this view, the sonographer is evaluating Morrison’s Pouch, the space between the liver and kidney, to evaluate for free fluid concerning for hemoperitoneum in the setting of trauma.  In which direction, relative to the patient, is the probe marker pointing?

A 45 y/o female is suffering from abdominal pain after meals.  What ultrasound mode is used to scan her gallbladder in the image below?

A 47 y/o male with a history of peptic ulcer disease presents with worsening pain in the right upper quadrant after meals.  An H2 blocker and PPI provide him with no relief.  His clinician performs the ultrasound below.  Applying pressure to the probe causes him more pain.  What artifact present below confirms the patient’s diagnosis?

A 23 year old male is involved in an accident falling forward off of his bicycle hitting his abdomen on the handlebars.  He is in severe abdominal pain and has visible bruising over his left flank and around his umbilicus.  You perform an ultrasound exam which shows free fluid in the left upper quadrant between the diaphragm and the spleen concern for a splenic injury.  How do you describe the appearance of fluid on an ultrasound and what happens to sound waves that create this appearance?

To evaluate for a DVT, the linear probe is used in the popliteal region.  In the following video, what probe movement is used to rule out the presence of a popliteal DVT?

A 45 y/o with a history of kidney stones presents with acute onset of L flank pain.  A renal ultrasound shows finding consistent with mild hydronephrosis.  To determine whether or not what appears to be hydronephrosis are actually the renal vessels, what machine mode is used below to troubleshoot this potential pitfall?

The presence of the liver superior to the diaphragm is an example of what type of artifact?

In the gallbladder the gallstone appears _______ compared to its surrounding due to the _______ number of sound waves returning to the ultrasound probe.

The following image shows a cross section of the heart in the parasternal long view. Increasing the gain would result in a ____________.

Among the artifacts visible in the image below, which artifact explains why the anterior wall of the gallbladder is measured to determine gallbladder wall thickness?

A 45 year old female with obesity is experiencing pain in the right upper quadrant after meals. You decide to do an ultrasound to look for gallstones. What are the characteristics of the probe that will allow you to best visualize the gallbladder?

The following image of the heart in the apical 4 chamber window is in which mode?

A 23 year old male fell off a bicycle and complains of rib pain, shortness of breath and abdominal pain. A focused assessment of sonography in trauma is performed (FAST exam). Which artifact seen above the diaphragm suggests that the patient does NOT have a hemothorax?

A 55 y/o female presents to you with unilateral pain and swelling.  You are concerned about a DVT.  Which probe(s) is/are best for viewing a DVT?