What Scan Do I Need? A Symptom-to-Scan Guide
The right ultrasound scan depends on where your symptom is, how long it has been there, and what question needs answering. Symptoms do not come labelled with scan protocols — and they do not need to. The table below maps common symptoms to the scan that usually answers them, and our free Scan Advisor can guide you through it interactively. If you are still unsure, call us on 0203 051 6506 — a two-minute conversation is usually all it takes.
Match your symptom to the right scan
Use the Scan Advisor
Prefer to be guided? The Scan Advisor asks about your symptom the way our triage call would, then suggests the most appropriate examination.
The wrong-scan pattern — and how we catch it
The most common mismatch we see is patients booking a general abdominal scan when their symptoms are actually pelvic or urological, or booking a limited study when a targeted Doppler or small-parts assessment would answer the question better. It is completely understandable — patients do not speak in scan protocols — but it matters for how much diagnostic value your appointment delivers.
We catch most of this before the appointment through triage. When someone calls unsure, the conversation is structured but conversational: where exactly is the symptom, how long has it been present, what makes it better or worse, any prior imaging, and what their GP has queried. Within a couple of minutes that usually maps to the correct scan and protocol — or occasionally to honest advice that ultrasound is not the right first test at all.
That gap — between what patients think they need and what will actually answer the clinical question — is why we built the Scan Advisor. It is essentially our triage conversation as a guided tool: it translates symptoms into the most appropriate examination, so you arrive for the right scan the first time.
Some questions are better answered by X-ray, MRI, CT or blood tests — and some symptoms should not wait for imaging at all. Sudden severe pain, chest pain, heavy bleeding, sudden weakness or confusion, or feeling seriously unwell need 999 or A&E, not a scan booking. For persistent but non-urgent symptoms, your GP remains the best first port of call — our reports are written so your GP can act on them.
The triage pattern described above comes from IUS London's clinical practice. Scans are performed by HCPC-registered sonographers at our CQC-registered clinic. This article is general information, not individual medical advice — if in doubt about a symptom, speak to your GP or call NHS 111.
Author: Yianni Kiromitis, Senior Sonographer, HCPC RA38415 — verify on our clinical team page.
Medically reviewed by: Yianni Kiromitis, Senior Sonographer, HCPC RA38415 — 22 July 2026. Last reviewed: 22 July 2026.
