Duplex vascular scanning is an ultrasound diagnostic method that combines traditional ultrasound with Doppler ultrasound. With its help, you can explore various kinds of pathologies of the circulatory system, more specifically, arteries and veins.
This method allows the doctor to examine the structure of the vessels, wherever they are placed, and to observe the movement of blood through the vessels.
The usual ultrasound scan allows you to see a two-dimensional image of the veins. Doppler mode allows you to see the direction and speed of blood flow.
Modern medical institutions make it possible to undergo ultrasound examination of the arteries of the hands.
Indications for the procedure
Duplex scanning of the arteries of the upper extremities is recommended for certain indications. If a person has swelling of the hands, reddened skin and pain, you should pay attention to this. Stable edema is a reason to conduct a duplex scan.
In addition, this procedure may be necessary for people who have a congenital malformation of the veins, after operations on the vessels, after serious injuries of the upper limbs.
Do not ignore numbness, tingling and other discomfort in the upper extremities. In addition, a dangerous signal is difficulty in moving the arms, excessive weakness in them, involuntary muscle contraction, and pallor of the extremities. Also, this examination is mandatory for prevention by people who are especially vulnerable.
As a rule, these are people who have the following pathologies: diseases of the endocrine system, blood, veins, autonomic dysfunction. It is not uncommon for hereditary predisposition to vascular diseases and pathologies.
It is worth paying attention to the fact that duplex scanning of the arteries of the upper extremities is allowed for any person and has no contraindications. The only thing that can interfere with this procedure is the presence of skin damage.
Also, the advantage of the procedure is that it can be carried out as many times as necessary to make a correct diagnosis. The examination does not entail negative consequences for the body and human health.
Conducting diagnostics
It does not require any preparation of ultrasound examination of the arteries of the upper extremities. Before the procedure in the ultrasound diagnostic room, it is necessary to bare your hands, sometimes the doctor may ask you to take off your clothes to the waist, remove jewelry and other things that may interfere with the procedure.
The ultrasound procedure can be performed sitting or lying down. Sometimes it is advisable to measure blood pressure, so a tonometer cuff can be worn on the patient’s arm. The ultrasound doctor lubricates the sensor with a special gel and begins to drive it along the upper limbs in the area of the venous projection. Then, by changing the position of the ultrasonic sensor, the ultrasound doctor can most accurately assess the condition of the walls of blood vessels and measure blood flow indicators.
In order to speed up the movement of blood, the doctor may squeeze the shoulders or forearms of the patient. This method allows you to evaluate cardiac blood flow. The resulting image is instantly processed and displayed on the monitor screen.
Under certain conditions, it is enough to examine only one limb, but most often, patients examine both hands at once.
Duplex scanning of the arteries of the hands lasts approximately 30-40 minutes. After completion of the examination, the patient is completely free, there are no prohibitions and restrictions. This manipulation is absolutely safe for the patient, as it does not entail any complications and side effects.
It is worth noting that during the diagnosis, the patient does not experience any pain and discomfort. He may feel a slight chill from the gel when the doctor applies it to the body. But this can be avoided if the gel is preheated to human body temperature. Also, when measuring blood pressure, the blood pressure cuff will be inflated and the patient may feel a slight tension in the area where it is worn. But this will not bring much inconvenience and will pass in a few minutes.
Decoding of the obtained results
As a result of this survey, the protocol contains few digital indicators, but includes some parameters:
- anatomical structure;
- patency of venous vessels;
- the speed of blood flow through the vessels;
- the presence of abnormal formations in the lumen of the vessels.
The indicators of ultrasound duplex scanning are normal if there are no obstructions to blood flow in the examined veins and arteries.
And also, if the veins have normal localization and have not increased in size. Another important parameter is the absence of blood clots in the vessels.
If there is a pathology in the human body, then during the study it is possible to detect the asymmetry of the blood flow between the two opposite parts of the patient’s body. If in one of the areas the blood flow is blocked, then the sound during the study will be quite sharp. This will slow down the flow of blood. This obstruction may manifest as a blood clot, narrowing of the vessel lumen (partial or complete), and an aneurysm.
Ultrasound of the arteries of the upper extremities allows the ultrasound doctor not only to identify blood clots and bundles in the vessels, but also to determine the place where they are located, their size and structure. This procedure allows you to conduct an examination and study the quantitative and qualitative parameters of blood flow, which further helps the doctor determine the correct treatment tactics.