Ultrasound Examinations

We offer bulk billing ultrasound examinations at both our Adelaide radiology clinics in Brighton and Salisbury. This means that when you are referred for an ultrasound to Australian Radiology Clinics, there is no gap to pay and so you incur no costs.

In order to be bulk billed for your ultrasound examination at Australian Radiology Clinics, you require a valid Medicare card and to have an ultrasound referral from your GP or Specialist. Please feel free to talk to a member of our team if you have any questions about our radiology bulk billing services.

In preparation for an ultrasound examination when you are pregnant, or you are having your pelvis or kidneys scanned, it is necessary to have a full bladder. You should therefore drink 600 ml of water-based fluids, starting 1.5 hours prior to your examination and finishing an hour before your appointment begins. If you are having an ultrasound on your gallbladder or upper abdomen, you should not eat or drink for at least six hours prior to your appointment. Our team is always on hand to provide guidance in advance of any ultrasound examination.

The time required for an ultrasound examination will vary, but it is typically not a lengthy procedure (allow between 30 minutes to an hour). You will be advised at the time you book your appointment as to how long your examination will be.

After your ultrasound has been completed, the images and report will be sent to your referring GP using a secure digital messaging service. 

What is an ultrasound?

An ultrasound is commonly used to monitor pregnancy, as well as in the diagnosis of a variety of medical conditions and musculoskeletal injuries. It is used to take images of the body’s internal structures and organs, including the liver, kidneys, muscles, tendons, veins and arteries. 

Ultrasound is a safe, painless and non-invasive procedure that does not produce any radiation. Gel is placed on the skin of the area that is being examined, and then a small ultrasound probe (known as a transducer) that uses high frequency sound pulses is passed over the area by the sonographer, and this captures the high resolution images that are required. 

Ultrasound scans take place in real time, and this means that they can capture the movement of the body’s internal organs as well as the flow of the blood throughout the area being scanned. 

Interventional ultrasound procedures

Ultrasound can also be used to assist in the performance of minimally invasive interventional medical procedures. These include administering joint injections, fine needle aspiration, or taking biopsies of tissues or bone.

Although our ultrasound examinations are bulk billed, when injections are also required there is a small gap to pay, unless you hold a current government issued concession card.