Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's Ultrasound Department: Pediatric Emergency Studies

At Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, the ultrasound department realizes that its staff makes a difference in a child's life every day. One way is by utlilizing emergent ultrasounds. The thin body habitus of a child is especially suited to ultrasound evaluation. What emergent ultrasound exams are done on the pediatric patient? The most common is to evaluate for the acute abdominal condition. Abdominal studies look for obstructions such as intusseption and pyloric stenosis. Abdominal ultrasound also evaluates the abdomen for gallstones, kidney stones or abscess or fluid collections. Pelvic ultrasounds are performed for ovarian torsion, hemorrhagic ovarian cysts, or fluid collections and abscesses. Scrotal ultrasounds are used to diagnose testicular torsion. Children's performs everything from deep vein thrombosis Doppler studies to hip ultrasound for effusions. Superficial foreign bodies can be seen on ultrasound that may not be seen by diagnostic radiography. More and more, the emergency department requests ultrasound studies. Ultrasound in the acute situation is very dependent on the skill and expertise of the sonographer. Children's has a dedicated team of sonographers that are the best of the best. They are all very passionate about their work and extremely proud of the work they do. The ultrasound department at Children's is a wonderful place to work.

Alice Spinks, Radiology Team Leader, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite