Abstract
There is no standard approach to performing an ultrasound study. However, there are images which every study should document. The order in which the sonographer acquires these images assures consistency and ease of readability for the reviewer. I am a vocal proponent of developing an approach and sticking with it. This is especially important in a large practice with many sonographers. Once a protocol is developed, it needs to be codified in a written document. As changes are needed, the document is updated with the date of the revision and possibly the reason for the revision. All sonographers will then need to be re-educated.
This chapter describes a urologist’s view of what a complete ultrasound evaluation of the primary organs of interest for the urologist should include. I have incorporated the requirements of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) to assure those interested in AIUM Urology Practice Accreditation, as well as meeting the ever-escalating requirements of third-party payers, that use of these protocols will meet their requirements. As the urologist becomes an expert sonographer, changes to the protocol will inevitably occur; however, my hope is that this chapter will serve as a working primer that will help a urologist sonographer acquire and document high-quality studies.
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References
AIUM Practice Guideline for Documentation of an Ultrasound Examination, AIUM practice guidelines.
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Gilbert, B.R. (2021). Urologic Ultrasound Protocols. In: Fulgham, P.F., Gilbert, B.R. (eds) Practical Urological Ultrasound. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52309-1_18
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