Patients visit their OB/GYNs for a wide range of reasons, seeking care, support and answers throughout their lives. In return, clinicians provide effective patient care management by assessing symptoms thoroughly, addressing concerns compassionately and reaching diagnoses promptly.
This FAQ examines how ultrasound is the best in-office resource available for you to achieve these goals, thereby helping your patients effectively and efficiently.
- What role does ultrasound play in menopause management? Patients turn to their OB/GYNs for help managing a variety of symptoms related to menopause, as it can be tricky to navigate. For example, postmenopausal bleeding can be harmless, or it can be a sign of a serious condition such as endometrial cancer. Transvaginal ultrasound is the first-line tool for evaluating this troubling symptom.
- What should you look for in a pelvic inflammatory disease ultrasound? Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) commonly affects adolescent and young adult women. It often results from an infection in the lower genital tract, but it can have other causes as well, such as an adnexal mass or an intrauterine device. Ultrasound is an accessible, cost-effective tool to evaluate patients for PID.
- How does early diagnosis affect patients with pediatric ovarian torsion? About 15 percent of ovarian torsion cases happen in children or adolescents. If left untreated, this condition can lead to infertility. Symptoms are often not specific and, therefore, hard for younger patients to communicate clearly. Transabdominal ultrasound can help clinicians narrow down the causes of their patient's abdominal pain and make an accurate diagnosis of ovarian torsion when applicable.
- How can you detect pelvic congestion syndrome on ultrasound? Pelvic pain is one of the most common complaints patients bring to their OB/GYN; however, it can stem from a wide range of causes. Pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS), for example, is hard to detect, and the primary symptom patients experience is pelvic pain. However, PCS has telltale signs on ultrasound.
- How can hysterosonography assess tubal patency? Hysterosonography uses ultrasound, fluid and sound waves to create images of the uterus and determine tubal patency, which can play a role in fertility. Using ultrasound in this way tends to be less painful and avoids radiation, both of which are more common with hysterosalpingography (the alternative assessment tool). Learn more about how ultrasound can assess fallopian tubes for patients struggling with infertility.
Employing high-quality ultrasound equipment and learning the best ultrasound techniques can help you make strong connections with your patients and facilitate discussion during an examination. Moreover, you can collaborate and establish a patient care management plan together to address your patient's health needs.
