Is fasting a necessary preparation for abdominal ultrasound?

Abstract

Objective: To study the effect of fasting on the technical success of abdominal ultrasound examination. Methods: In a randomized, prospective study, 150 patients for abdominal ultrasound were divided into two groups of 75 patients each with instructions to fast for six hours or have normal breakfast respectively. Result: The technical success of the abdominal ultrasound performed by radiologists blinded to the instruction did not differ significantly between the groups. Conclusion: It appears that routine fasting before abdominal ultrasound is not necessary. © 2003 Sinan et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.