The pancreas is the main organ of the gastrointestinal tract, responsible for the synthesis of digestive enzymes and hormones that control metabolic processes in the body. With complete or partial dysfunction of this organ, serious digestive problems are observed. And in order to understand exactly what pathological processes occur in the pancreas tissues and what their extent is, doctors prescribe an examination, which includes an ultrasound examination. Preparing for an ultrasound of the pancreas is a very important undertaking. If it is not carried out, incorrect data may be obtained during the study, which will be followed by incorrect treatment, further progression of the disease and the occurrence of complications against it.
Principle of ultrasound examination
A special device that creates ultrasonic waves scans the internal organs in the selected area and sends the received information to the monitor in the form of an image. So, with the help of sound, you can “see” the structure of the internal organ, the composition of its tissues and possible pathologies.
A special gel is applied to the abdominal area, along which the doctor moves a sound sensor. The patient feels the sensor sliding across the body, as well as slight pressure on certain parts of the abdominal area. The procedure is carried out with a deep breath. A sinographic examination takes about 10-15 minutes. It is absolutely harmless and painless.
The accuracy of the results of this examination largely depends on how the ultrasound of the pancreas is performed: on an empty stomach or not?
Possible results
All detailed data on the size, shape and condition of the organ are recorded in a specialist’s report. Normal pancreas:
- located next to the spleen and liver;
- has the shape of the letter S;
- looks uniform, has no obvious defects;
- has clear contours;
- easy to visualize: head, body, tail are visible.
The size and other parameters of the pancreas may differ from standard indicators for adults and children of a certain age. But this is not always a reason for making a diagnosis. Diseases are usually indicated by a combination of various deviations from the norm. An ultrasound scan can identify a specific organ defect. Thus, tumors are visualized as oval or round objects with a heterogeneous structure. When the pancreas is inflamed, an ultrasound scan reveals an enlargement of the organ from head to tail. For any deviations from normal parameters, consultation with a gastroenterologist is recommended.
Why is ultrasound of the pancreas performed on an empty stomach?
For ultrasound to show the most accurate results, it is not recommended to eat for 12 hours before the ultrasound. The procedure should be performed on an empty stomach. Eating food provokes gas formation, which interferes with high-quality visualization of organs. In addition, food debris in the intestines distorts the overall picture. As a result, the diagnostician may make erroneous conclusions or may need to repeat the study after preliminary preparation.
In addition, on the day of the examination, the patient is prohibited from smoking, taking medications and drinking alcoholic beverages. Even drinking plain water is prohibited for 6 hours before the session.
If the patient has a tendency to increased gas formation, the day before the procedure, he is prescribed adsorbents - medications that reduce gas formation in the intestines.
Preparing patients with diabetes
Insulin-dependent people should be especially careful when preparing for an ultrasound. It is contraindicated for such patients to fast after insulin administration, as this can lead to serious consequences. And here, the best way out of this situation may be to carry out the procedure in the early morning hours, and administer insulin after the ultrasound diagnosis, so that you can easily eat food as usual. A few hours before the scan, you should refrain from smoking, hard candies, chewing gum and drinking, as this can lead to involuntary swallowing of air, and the air bubble, in turn, will interfere with data reading.
Medications
When making an appointment for an ultrasound scan of the pancreas, you should inform the doctor about the medications that are taken on an ongoing basis and for what disease they are prescribed. It is possible that some medications may need to be stopped on the day of the scan. If the subject has recently undergone a CT or MRI of the abdominal organs with the introduction of a contrast agent, then the procedure should be carried out no earlier than the third day after using the contrast in order to allow the substance to finally leave the body. If you do not adhere to this rule, then during ultrasound diagnostics the doctor will see the organ covering the pancreas filled with contrast and will not be able to give an accurate analysis of the anatomy of the gland. In emergency cases, when urgent diagnosis is needed, ultrasound of the pancreas is performed without any preparation. However, the results may be incomplete.
How to prepare for an ultrasound?
The main goal of preparing for an ultrasound examination is to eliminate gas formation and irritation on the mucous membranes. Three days before the ultrasound, the patient is prescribed a gentle diet. Excluded from the diet: fruits, carbonated drinks, raw vegetables, dairy products, sweet juices, legumes, beer and other foods that cause flatulence. A sample menu for the next three days before the ultrasound consists of:
- boiled beef;
- boiled eggs;
- skinless chicken;
- steamed lean fish;
- porridge - oatmeal, barley, buckwheat.
Eating should be done in a calm environment. To avoid swallowing air, it is not recommended to talk or rush while eating. You should eat in crushed portions and preferably at three-hour intervals. You need to have dinner no later than 20:00. You cannot drink food with water. Food diluted with liquid is poorly absorbed, since the digestion process in the gastrointestinal tract is disrupted. You are allowed to drink unsweetened tea an hour before meals or 40 minutes after meals.
If necessary, 12 hours before the ultrasound session, you should clean your intestines in advance. This can be done with an enema or taking laxative medications. It is not recommended to use breath fresheners or chewing gum immediately before the session. Failure to comply with any of the requirements must be reported to the diagnostician, otherwise the resulting image may be misinterpreted.
2-3 days before the study
At this time, doctors recommend following a diet and not consuming a number of foods that can cause increased gas formation and distort the results. These include foods rich in fiber and protein. For the time being it is worth giving up:
Location of the pancreas
- legumes (beans, peas, lentils);
- vegetables in any form, especially those high in fiber (cabbage, broccoli, onions);
- greenery;
- too sweet fruits and berries (such as grapes and melon);
- milk and dairy products with high fat content;
- salty and smoked dishes;
- fatty meats and fish;
- sausages and frankfurters;
- black bread;
- flour and butter products;
- chocolate;
- coffee;
- carbonated and alcoholic drinks.
Eating fatty and fried foods may negatively affect the results of the study.
It is important to provide the pancreas with rest and not to load it with excessively heavy food. Products may be prepared by baking, regular boiling, or steaming. What you can eat before the procedure:
- cereal porridge on water;
- lean meats - chicken, turkey, rabbit, etc. (without skin);
- eggs – hard-boiled or in the form of steam omelettes (but no more than 1 egg per day);
- herbal teas.
Approximate diet for the whole day
| Time | Food |
| Breakfast – 8-10 am | Porridge with water, one hard-boiled egg |
| First snack – 10-13 hours | 100 grams of lean cheese |
| Lunch – 13-15 hours | Lean meat |
| Second snack | Buckwheat porridge on water |
| Dinner | Lean fish |
In this case, it is necessary to eat food correctly:
- food should be warm (hot and cold dishes and drinks have a negative effect on the functioning of the pancreas);
- Food should be consumed in small quantities, but not less than 5 times a day;
- do not eat at least 2-3 hours before bedtime.
Herbal teas help improve pancreas function
Cases of exceptions in performing ultrasound
There are times when the pancreas is difficult to detect. In such situations, the stomach must be filled with liquid. Use still water at room temperature. The patient drinks it through a thin tube in small sips.
Sometimes an exception may be diabetes mellitus or decreased glucose tolerance. Patients with diabetes should not deny themselves food for too long. He can have breakfast in the morning before the session. However, breakfast should consist of carbohydrates. Boiled water or any other liquid should be excluded on the day of the ultrasound.
Only in emergency situations can a diagnostician decide to conduct an ultrasound examination of the pancreas without prior preparation. However, the informative reliability of the studies is reduced to 40%.
The medical specialist provides a detailed transcript of the research materials in writing, attaching photographs of the examined organ to the document.
Indications and contraindications
Ultrasound is prescribed to almost all patients who have disorders of the digestive system, accompanied by:
- aching or acute pain in the epigastric region or hypochondrium;
- diarrhea or chronic constipation;
- the presence of a large number of undigested pieces of food in the stool;
- increased fat content in stool (it becomes shiny, oily);
- nausea and vomiting;
- the occurrence of aversion to fatty foods and alcohol;
- symptoms of obstructive jaundice (yellowing of the skin, sclera of the eyes, etc.).
Ultrasound examination is also used if the doctor suspects, after examination and collection of anamnesis, the development of the following diseases:
- cholelithiasis;
- pancreatic cyst;
- gland hematoma;
- abscess in the pancreatic parenchyma;
- oncological diseases;
- pancreatitis;
- cholecystitis;
- papillitis;
- inflammation of the duodenum.
In addition, it is mandatory to conduct an ultrasound before surgery or after an abdominal injury to ensure that the integrity of the gland has not been compromised.
An ultrasound scan of the pancreas also checks the functionality of other organs of the digestive tract.
Carrying out an ultrasound makes it possible not only to assess the external condition of the gland (its dimensions - length and width), but also to detect the pathological processes that have arisen in it, as well as complications arising from them. For this reason, during an ultrasound scan of the pancreas, the doctor often also evaluates the condition of the gallbladder, kidneys and liver, since these are the organs that primarily suffer from malfunction of the gland.
Despite the fact that ultrasound is one of the most informative and safe diagnostic methods, in some cases it becomes impossible to carry out.
Ultrasound examination is contraindicated in the following cases:
Indications for MRI of the pancreas
- if the patient has an allergic reaction to the gel used (it is not possible to conduct an examination without his participation);
- conditions that threaten the patient’s life (for example, necrosis, abscess, etc.);
- high degree of obesity;
- pyoderma;
- viral skin lesions (herpes, molluscum contagiosum);
- infectious skin diseases (tuberculosis, leprosy, borreliosis);
- systemic diseases (lupus, syphilis, HIV);
- the presence of wounds in the abdominal area (cuts, abrasions, burns, etc.);
- fistulas in the upper abdomen.
