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Preparation for bladder ultrasound
Alexey Kryvenko, medical expert
Last reviewed: 06.07.2025
Last reviewed: 06.07.2025
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Preparation for ultrasound of the bladder
- Patient preparation. The bladder should be full. Give the patient 4 or 5 glasses of fluid and perform the examination an hour later (do not allow the patient to urinate). If necessary, the bladder can be filled with sterile saline through a catheter: filling should be stopped when the patient feels discomfort. Avoid catheterization if possible because of the risk of infection.
- Patient position. The patient should be lying on his back, but it may be necessary to turn the patient into a tilted position. The patient should be lying in a relaxed state with calm breathing. Apply the gel to the lower abdomen. Hair on the skin of any part of the abdomen traps air bubbles, so apply the gel thoroughly.
- Selecting a transducer: Use a 3.5 MHz transducer for adults and a 5 MHz transducer for children and thin adults.
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