Ultrasound imaging in the general practitioner’s office – a literature review
Ultrasound, which is a safe and non-invasive diagnostic modality that uses more and more advanced imaging techniques, has become the first-choice examination in various diseases. It is more and more often used in the general practitioner’s office to supplement physical examination and interview....
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Sciendo
2016-03-01
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| Series: | Journal of Ultrasonography |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://jultrason.pl/index.php/issues/volume-16-no-64/ultrasound-imaging-in-the-general-practitioner-s-office-a-literature-review?aid=418 |
| Summary: | Ultrasound, which is a safe and non-invasive diagnostic modality that uses more and
more advanced imaging techniques, has become the first-choice examination in various
diseases. It is more and more often used in the general practitioner’s office to supplement
physical examination and interview. Aim: The aim of this paper is to review the Polish
medical literature pertaining to the usage of ultrasound imaging in general practice as
well as to present advantages, disadvantages and utility associated with conducting ultrasound
examinations by general practitioners based on selected publications. Material and
methods: The analysis involved 15 articles found in Polish medical literature published
in 1994–2013 in 9 medical journals. These publications were obtained using various
data bases, such as Polish Medical Bibliography, Google Scholar as well as websites
of “Lekarz Rodzinny” and “Ultrasonografia.” Results: Of 15 available publications, 5
papers present the usage of ultrasound imaging by a primary care physician for general
purposes, 4 discuss the usage of abdominal scans, 3 – imaging of the neck and lymph
nodes, 1 – lungs, and 2 discuss its usage for specific disease entities. In over 70% of the
papers, the financial aspect associated with the usage of this modality in general practice
is mentioned. More than a half of the publications draw attention to the possibility of
using point-of-care ultrasound examinations. Advantages of ultrasonography most often
mentioned by the authors include: good effects of screening, safety, short duration and
low cost. The authors of eight publications also indicate disadvantages associated with
ultrasound imaging used by a general practitioner. Conclusions: In the Polish literature,
there are relatively few papers on the role of ultrasonography in the office of a primary
care physician. This modality is more and more often becoming a tool that helps primary
care physicians to establish diagnoses, accelerates the initiation of treatment and directs
the further diagnostic process. |
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| ISSN: | 2084-8404 2451-070X |