Retrospective Analysis of Ultrasonography Trends in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Background: Ultrasonography is an essential, rapidly expanding diagnostic tool, especially in resource-limited settings, yet long-term utilization patterns in Bangladeshi tertiary hospitals are not well documented. Rising disease burdens and increased reliance on ultrasound highlight the need for systematic analysis. This study aims to examine eight-year trends (2018–2025) in ultrasonography use, including annual volumes, shifts in scan types and overall workload patterns. Methods: This retrospective descriptive study reviewed eight years of ultrasonography records (2018–2025) from (Hospital name) hospital’s radiology database. All 7632 complete scan logs were extracted and categorized by year and ultrasound type, including whole abdomen, PVR, pregnancy, liver, thyroid, testis, breast, neck, brain, pelvis, and soft-tissue swelling. Incomplete or duplicate entries were excluded. Annual scan volumes, year-to-year changes, and proportional contributions of each scan type were calculated, and long-term trends were evaluated. Analysis relied solely on descriptive statistics, with results presented as frequencies and percentages. Results: Ultrasonography utilization showed significant fluctuations over the eight years, with a sharp decline during 2020–2021 followed by a strong rebound beginning in 2022. Total annual scans rose from 923 in 2018 to 1507 in 2025. Whole-abdomen scans consistently dominated the workload (about 72–75%), while PVR studies increased steadily to become the second-largest category. Pregnancy, liver, thyroid, and testicular scans declined during the pandemic but recovered gradually. Other specialized scans remained low in volume. Overall, the data show clear post-pandemic recovery and rising long-term diagnostic demand across multiple ultrasound categories. Conclusion: Ultrasonography use declined sharply during the pandemic but recovered rapidly and surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Whole-abdomen scans remained the main workload driver, with steady growth in PVR and other specialized studies. These trends underscore the continued importance of ultrasound in routine diagnostics and the need for strengthened resource planning to meet increasing demand..