In the perihepatic view, the following structures are seen:
Abdominal views when looking for free fluid
To look for free fluid in the abdomen, three views are relevant:
XX 1 – Learning objectives
The learning objectives for focused ultrasonography of the abdomen are
To obtain
– the transverse and longitudinal aorta view
– the perihepatic view
– the perisplenic view
– the pelvic view
To answer the focused questions
– Is abdominal aortic aneurism/dissection present?
– Is free intraperitoneal fluid visible?
A: Abdominal aortic aneurism
B: Free intraperitoneal fluid in the pelvic view
C: Free intraperitoneal fluid in the perihepatic view
D: Free intraperitoneal fluid in the perisplenic view
The transducer for focused ultrasonography of the abdomen
For focused ultrasonography of the abdomen a lower frequency curved (abdominal) transducer is used.
A lower-frequency curved transducer (abdominal) permits the deep penetration that is needed for evaluating deeper structures and has a wide footprint that allows a good overview.
If no abdominal transducer is available, a cardiac transducer can be used, but the small footprint of this transducer does not offer as good an overview.
Tips and tricks
The ‘abdominal’ transducer can be used for all lung and abdominal examinations.
Abdominal aorta: Identifying structures
In the transverse aortic view, the following structures are seen: