Aorta ultrasound

 Aorta ultrasound

 Begin by reviewing the anatomy of the aorta we'll then move on to learn how to perform the ultrasound examination of the abdominal aorta all the way from the top at the subxiphoid process as the aorta excite the thoracic cavity to bifurcation at the level of the umbilicus. 

 Learn how to understand the interpretation of the ultrasound images that you will obtain using  bedside sonography 

 The positions of the probe for sonography of the aorta generally we'll begin by placing the probe in a short axis configuration begin by placing the probe in probe position 1 in the epigastric region to visualize the aorta as it enters the abdominal cavity and exits through the thoracic cavity via the diaphragm the probe should be configured with the marker dot over towards the patient's right side press down to firmly displace bowel gas and get a glimpse of that aorta now we should visualize the spine as our landmark and on top of the spine we'll visualize the aorta then we should slide the probe inferiorly to proposition 2 here as shown in the supra umbilical region this will allow us to visualize the entire part of the abdominal aorta all the way down to bifurcation

We should complete the examination of the aorta by looking at the aorta in a long axis plane we'll begin by placing the probe in probe position 1 again in that epigastric region to visualize the top part of the abdominal aorta have the marker dot superiorly oriented towards the patient's head we can then slide the probe inferiorly to probe position two at the region just above the umbilicus to visualize the aorta all the way down to bifurcation into the paired iliacs now for having problems visualizing the aorta due to the presence of a lot of bowel gas .

The aorta from proposition 3 the right hepatic window area this is going to be about the region where we're going to look at the trauma fast right upper quadrant view but here we're going to angle the probe more anterior over the kidney to get a glimpse of the abdominal aorta and long axis

Sonography the next major branch that we can see using bedside sonography is a superior mesenteric artery and this is a very important landmark as the renal artery and vein come off the aorta at about this level in fact the left renal vein courses right below the superior mesenteric artery we need to pay particular attention to the infernal part of the aorta as this is where the majority of the abdominal aortic aneurysms will originate now we need to scan all the way down to the bifurcation of the aorta into the periteliac arteries and sometimes we'll catch small aneurysms at the distal aspect of the aorta that branch into the iliac artery this is a short axis configuration taken of the abdominal aorta just below the subxiphoid process of the sternum looking through the liver now our first landmark should be the spine and notice that it has a hyperechoic or bright appearance on bedside ultrasound just above the spine we see the inferior vena cava with its respiratory phasic pulsations towards the patient's right and the aorta towards the patient's left side.