Alzheimer’s disease along with paralysis, hemiparesis and stroke are abnormal conditions of the brain that cause serious and potentially life-threatening impacts. However, we can learn about these abnormalities early through carotid duplex ultrasound.
What are the preparations for carotid duplex ultrasound?
Carotid duplex ultrasound is similar to regular ultrasound. The patient does not need to fast from food or medications or prepare themselves in any special way before the test. There are no behavioral contraindications before and after the test, because the test uses ultrasound, which is safe for the body.
Working Principle of Carotid Duplex Ultrasound
This test relies on the principle of transmitting sound waves onto blood vessels to produce images that allow doctors to observe the thickness of blood vessels and possibly places of fat or plaque accumulation or blood clots in order to make comparisons with other areas to identify the problematic sites inside the blood vessels.
In addition to being able to test the blood vessel walls, ultrasound can also be used to detect the movements of blood cells to produce feedback to the device to allow doctors to render a diagnosis by relying on the principle that fluid moves faster when it has to move through a narrower area. Because blood cells traveling through a stenotic site of a blood vessel appears to be moving faster with greater pressure relative to the other side, it is possible to use this information to determine the severity of the problem at the blood vessel.
What are the steps involved in performing a carotid duplex ultrasound?
Doctors will apply a solution over the ultrasound probe and then scan the carotid duplex around the neck on both sides in order to determine the presence of blood vessel abnormalities. The test requires about 20-40 minutes and the patient will be able to know the results right away after the test.
However, this test has some limitations for some patients such as patients who are very heavy or who have a very short neck, as they might cause test results to have discrepancies from being unable to clearly observe the blood vessels. As for side effects, some patients might experience an allergic reaction to the solution applied to the ultrasound probe. So, if the patient knows beforehand that there is an allergic, they can inform the doctor to find a different solution to use for the ultrasound. In any case, patients who experience no side effects can receive this test as many times as they need, and this test can also be used to test blood vessels in other parts of the body.
