The aorta is the largest artery that carries oxygenated blood from the heart to the viscera and extremities. Here I share with you the protocol for scanning aortic duplex ultrasounds.
Start in the epigastric region at the proximal abdominal aorta and take sagittal grayscale, color Doppler and spectral Doppler and measure the diameter in anterposterior dimensions from outer wall to outer wall, save the images as such.
Turn your transducer counterclockwise and take transverse images with and without color.
Continue to the mid abdominal aorta and take sagittal grayscale, color Doppler and spectral Doppler and measure the diameter in anterposterior dimensions from outer wall to outer wall, save the images as such.
Turn your transducer counter clockwise and take transverse images with and without color Doppler.
Continue to the distal aorta and take sagittal grayscale, color Doppler and spectral Doppler and measure the diameter in anterposterior dimensions from outer wall to outer wall, save the images as such.
Turn your transducer counter clockwise and take transverse images with and without color Doppler.
Then move on the the bifurcation, to achieve this image you’ll have to move right later at the umbilical level and angle obliquely towards the vertebrae.
Turn the probe counterclockwise and take transverse images with and without color.
Then move on to the right iliac fossa and scan the right iliac artery, take sagittal grayscale, color Doppler and spectral Doppler and measure the diameter in anterposterior dimensions from outer wall to outer wall, save the images as such.
Turn the probe counterclockwise and take transverse images with and without color.
Finally finish your exam by interrogating the left iliac artery. Same scheme as before sagittal, grayscale, color Doppler and spectral Doppler also measure.
And transverse, with and without color.
