Questions and Queries South NHS Foundation Trust If you have any special requirements Harton Lane (e.g. visual impairment, need an interpreter) or any queries at all, please South Tyneside contact our appointments clerk who will NE34 0PL NHS Foundation Trust be happy to help. Tel: 404 1000

The appointments office is open Monday to Friday 08.30—17.00. You can contact our appointments clerk by calling 0191 General Ultrasound Scan 404 1088.

We are committed to raising the standard of written information for patients, their carers, people who use the NHS and the general public. This information can be made available in another format or language on request. For further copies of this leaflet please contact on telephone numbers above.

Production date: November 2014 Author: Ultrasound Service Lead Code: 1114/398 Review date: 2017

Providing a range of NHS services in , South Tyneside and . What are the benefits of having a scan? Who will perform my scan? Can I bring someone into the examination Ultrasound is a painless, safe and Your scan will be conducted by a room with me? relatively easy way of examining inside Consultant Radiologist or Advanced Our examination rooms are quite small your body without the use of radiation. Practitioner Sonographer. There will and the person carrying out the procedure It uses sound waves to produce a detailed also be an assistant present in the room. needs to concentrate throughout the image that will help your Doctor to make Sometimes we have trainees in the procedure. However one family member a diagnosis. The scans include abdominal, department who are observing or or friend may stay in the room with you thyroid, testicular, joints and blood vessels learning under supervision. We will ask if you: (it does not apply to pregnancy scans). your permission before our trainees carry • Need extra help getting on or off out your scan. If you refuse, it will not in the bed What do I need to do before my scan? any way affect your treatment. It depends on the type of scan you are • Suffer from a mental illness or have having, and your appointment letter will What happens during the scan? learning difficulties explain this clearly. If you are not sure In the ultrasound room the person • Do not speak English and an interpreter please contact the appointments office assisting with the procedure will help you is not provided on the number provided. It is normally into the room and on to the examination important that you have nothing to eat table. The Consultant or Sonographer will • You are under the age of 16 five hours before your appointment. If check your details and then the you are diabetic please tell us so that we examination will begin. Where will my results go? can give you an early appointment. You The consultant or sonographer may not may still drink clear fluids and take your A warm gel will be spread on the area be able to give you the results on the day prescribed medication. that needs to be examined and an of your scan as the ultrasound images will ultrasound hand held device (probe) need to be reviewed before a formal Where will my scan be undertaken? will be moved over the skin surface report can be written. Your results will be Your scan will be performed in the obtaining images of structures inside your sent to the person who sent you for the Radiology Department at South Tyneside body. This probe has to be in very close scan. District Hospital. contact with the skin to work and is therefore often pressed and moved firmly. It shouldn’t hurt but if it does, please tell us and we can stop. The images obtained are displayed on a screen. You will not hear or feel the sound waves. When your examination is finished, you can eat and drink as normal.