Exam Requirements: General Ultrasound (Revised 8-23-2024)

Katie Albus

Modified on: Fri, 23 Aug, 2024 at 10:26 AM

Revision History

A total of 2 exams are required:

If abdominal ultrasound exams are performed, an Abdomen Complete ultrasound is required, along with one different exam. Please select one of the following exams for your second submission: renal, scrotal, thyroid, or transrectal prostate.
If abdominal ultrasound exams are NOT performed, a total of 2 exams must be selected from the remaining exam options: renal, scrotal, thyroid, or transrectal prostate.

Please see the article on Modalities with Low Volume or Emergency Use as needed.

Complete documentation/survey means a series of several images throughout the entire organ in two planes. For example, from one side of the organ to the other in the longitudinal plane and from superior to inferior in the transverse plane.

Anatomy should be intentionally imaged in an organized fashion and correctly labeled for clarity.

Exam Requirements: General Ultrasound Accreditation

Abdomen Complete

Liver

Complete documentation in longitudinal
- At least three gray scale images of the left lobe to include lateral, mid, medial
- At least three gray scale images of the right lobe to include lateral, mid, medial
Complete documentation in transverse
- At least three gray scale images of the left lobe to include superior, mid, inferior
- At least three gray scale images of the right lobe to include superior, mid, inferior
Vascular anatomy

Gallbladder

Complete documentation in longitudinal and transverse, may require more than one patient position

Biliary Duct

Measurement of the extrahepatic duct

Pancreas

Complete transverse (long axis of organ) documentation to include head, body, tail

Kidneys

Complete documentation in longitudinal
- At least three gray scale images to include lateral, mid without measurement, medial
Complete documentation in transverse
- At least three gray scale images to include upper pole, mid without measurement, lower pole
Renal length

Spleen

Complete documentation in longitudinal and transverse

Aorta

Longitudinal gray scale documentation – proximal, mid, distal

IVC

Longitudinal gray scale documentation - proximal

Renal

Complete documentation in longitudinal

At least three gray scale images to include lateral, mid without measurement, medial

Complete documentation in transverse

At least three gray scale images to include upper pole, mid without measurement, lower pole

Renal length

Scrotal

Complete documentation of testes in longitudinal

At least three gray scale images to include lateral, mid without measurements, medial

OR

Cine clip of each testicle in longitudinal from medial to lateral
At least one static gray scale image of each testicle in longitudinal without measurements

Complete documentation of testes in transverse

At least three gray scale images to include superior, mid without measurements, inferior

OR

Cine clip of each testicle in transverse from superior to inferior
At least one static gray scale image of each testicle in transverse without measurements

Measurement of testes - length, height (AP), width

Documentation of epididymis and other peritesticular structures

Evaluation with color and/or spectral Doppler imaging

Thyroid

Complete documentation of both lobes in longitudinal

At least three gray scale images to include lateral, mid without measurements, medial

OR

Cine clip of each lobe in longitudinal from medial to lateral
At least one static gray scale image of each lobe in longitudinal without measurements

Complete documentation of both lobes in transverse

At least three gray scale images to include superior, mid without measurements, inferior

OR

Cine clips of each lobe in transverse from superior to inferior
At least one static gray scale image of each lobe in transverse without measurements

Measurement of both lobes – length, height (AP), width

Transverse gray scale isthmus without and with AP measurement

Transrectal Prostate

Complete documentation in longitudinal

At least three gray scale images to include right lateral, mid without measurements, left lateral

Complete documentation in transverse/coronal

At least three gray scale images to include apex, mid without measurements, base

Size – obtain three measurements from two orthogonal planes

Documentation of periprostatic structures

Revision History for this Article
Date	Section	Description of Revision(s)
12-12-19	All	Article created; FAQs incorporated; No criteria changes
1-27-2020		Clarified required exams and separated exam requirements for gallbladder and biliary duct.
2-26-2020	Scrotum	Changed "Doppler utilized when indicated" to "Evaluation with color and/or spectral Doppler Imaging"
6-2-2020		Added complete documentation description
8-3-2020		Added additional complete documentation descriptions in complete upper abdominal exam (liver and kidneys), renal exam, scrotum exam, thyroid exam and transrectal prostate exam.
4-21-2021	Complete Upper Abdominal	Removed "and ductal" from liver anatomy
4-21-21	Scrotum	Added "Size of testes" evaluation requirement
1-21-2022		Updated exam requirements
5-10-2022	Complete Upper Abdominal	Moved "renal length" bullet to be in-line with complete documentation
11-9-2022		Removed shoulder exam
8-23-2024		Added link to the Modalities with Low Volume or Emergency Use article

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