Ultrasound Assessment of the Gallbladder

Sonography Fundamentals

Materials Included

Text
Video
Anatomy
Simulation
Quiz

This module teaches you how to prepare for and perform an ultrasound examination of the gallbladder.

This module teaches you how to prepare for and perform an ultrasound examination of the gallbladder. The interactive simulator provides three different scan scenarios, including normal and pathological cases of the gallbladder and surrounding structures. It enables students and practitioners to build or refresh knowledge and cognitive skills, and offers a safe online environment so you can practice and prepare for the real clinical world. This module is ideal if you are studying for the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) registry exams.

You’ll learn

to practice, perfect and test your skills in performing an ultrasound scan of the gallbladder, bile ducts, portal triad and extrahepatic biliary system
to better visualize and understand the gallbladder, and surrounding structures, with our 3D anatomy model
to identify the clinical symptoms of gallbladder disease
how to differentiate normal and abnormal sonographic appearances of the gallbladder
how to explain and demonstrate the use of breathing techniques to obtain optimal images of the gallbladder
much more (see “content details” for more specific information)

Introduction

Step 1 - Preparation

Step 1.1 - Equipment preparation

Step 1.2 - Patient preparation

Step 1.3 - Operator preparation

Step 2 - Expose the abdomen and apply gel

Step 3 - Select the transducer and obtain images of the gallbladder

Step 4 - Commence the biliary system scanning protocol

Step 4.1 - Patient position

Step 4.2 - Scan plane

Step 4.3 - Standard biliary protocol image requirements

Step 4.4 - Annotations required

Step 4.5 - Sonographic features of a normal gallbladder

Step 4.5.1 - Sonographic features of a prominent gallbladder

Step 4.5.2 - Sonographic features of a contracted gallbladder

Step 4.6 - Sonographic features of gallbladder variants

Step 4.7 - Troubleshooting

Step 5 - Scan the gallbladder in the longitudinal and transverse planes

Step 5.1 - Scan the body and fundus of the gallbladder in the longitudinal plane

Step 5.2 - Scan the body and neck of the gallbladder in the transverse plane

Step 6 - Measure the gallbladder wall in the transverse plane

Step 7 - Assess the bile ducts and measure the common hepatic duct (CHD) and common bile duct (CBD)

Step 8 - Complete the procedure

Indications for ultrasound of the gallbladder
Identify gallbladder anatomy
Explain gallbladder physiology
List clinical symptoms of gallbladder disease
Gallbladder protocol
- Patient preparation
- Transducer selection and preset selection
- Patient positioning
- Transducer positions
- Scan planes
- Identify and obtain sonographic images of the gallbladder, bile ducts, and portal triad
- Identify and obtain sonographic images of the extrahepatic biliary system
- Obtain measurements of the gallbladder and related structures
Explain and demonstrate the use of breathing techniques to obtain optimal sonographic images of the gallbladder
Differentiate normal and abnormal sonographic appearances of the gallbladder
List and identify common neoplasms of the gallbladder
Explain the Patient's Bill of Rights, HIPAA Privacy Rule, and Patient Safety Act

The SIMTICS modules are all easy to use and web-based. This means they are available at any time as long as the learner has an internet connection. No special hardware or other equipment is required, other than a computer mouse for use in the simulations. Each of the SIMTICS modules covers one specific procedure or topic in detail. Each module contains:

an online simulation (available in Learn and Test modes)
descriptive text, which explains exactly how to perform that particular procedure including key terms and hyperlinks to references
2D images and a 3D model of applied anatomy for that particular topic
a step by step video demonstration by an expert
a quiz
a personal logbook that keeps track of all the modules the learner has studied and how long