Ultrasound Basics For Dummies

[Donnchadh]

Just received a copy of the actual ultrasound images taken 3 months post procedure. It requires Java to open up, but there is something wrong as I get an error message.

Luckily, I had previously installed a .dicom file reader and was able to open up nearly all of the images, convert them to .jpeg files onto my hard drive.

Question 1: I realize that the colors represent the direction of blood flow, but what direction is red? And what color represents the opposite direction?

Question 2: Does an admixture of opposing colors mean reflux at that site?

I spotted a valve flap, so my education from this site is progressing!

Donnchadh

[esta]

i have no answers, but good on you with the valve flap

[CureOrBust]

Question 1: I realize that the colors represent the direction of blood flow, but what direction is red? And what color represents the opposite direction?

I do not know if the colours are reversed for ultrasound, but I doubt it. Generally in "doppler", something moving away has a "red shift" and something moving towards you (ie the probe) will have a blue shift.

[DrCumming]

Hi,

It can be complicated....

Generally, on color images, the red and blue represent different directions of blood flow. You can setup the machine in many different ways so its not always one color means one thing.

Typically, we do setup the equipment so the anything blue is venous and red is arterial (from a direction point of view). A mix of colors could mean turbulent flow or aliasing artifact. Retrograde flow is best measured on a doppler tracing and not on a single color image.