Question

This short-axis view of the uterus (transabdominal technique) was obtained by orienting the probe indicator at the o'clock position. Which o'clock position does the probe indicator correspond to?

A) 12
B) 3
C) 6
D) 9

Answer 1

The short-axis view of the uterus using a transabdominal ultrasound technique would be obtained with the probe indicator at either the 3 o'clock (option B) or 9 o'clock (option D) position , which corresponds to a horizontal orientation of the probe relative to the patient.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question refers to the orientation of the ultrasound probe when obtaining a transabdominal short-axis view of the uterus. When referring to the position of the probe indicator in terms of a clock face, the 12 o'clock position indicates that the indicator is pointing directly upward or towards the patient's head. In contrast, the 6 o'clock position would mean the indicator is pointing downward or towards the patient's feet. The 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions would indicate that the probe is oriented horizontally, with the 3 o'clock indicating to the patient's right and the 9 o'clock to their left.

Since the question specifies that the view obtained is a short-axis view of the uterus, the correct orientation for the probe to achieve this view would typically be at the 3 o'clock or the 9 o'clock position, depending on whether the operator is standing on the patient's right or left side, respectively. Therefore, the correct answers are either option B (3 o'clock) or option D (9 o'clock), albeit additional context about the operator's position relative to the patient would be necessary to determine the exact o'clock position.