10-28-10 lab DMS 110

Today we scanned both kidneys and the spleen, and we put color Doppler on the image to visualize the blood flow. We adjusted the velocity ( the ideal one was around 9 or below), the doppler gain, and the frequency. The attached image represents the spleen with color Doppler. We can see the blood vessels well.
I enjoyed this lab better than the previous ones, because I feel more comfortable finding the ideal window for the kidneys. I tried different windows, including the intercostal and posterior. The posterior window is difficult to see due to the muscles, ribs and fat that got in the way, but the kidney is closer to the surface, so the color Doppler will show more blood flow. The intercostal window was the one I used the most, combined with deep inspiration. What I found more difficult today is using the Doppler succesfully. I am not sure if the U/S machine was too old, or the organs were too deep, but I was not able to see the blood vessels too clearly.