Diagnostic Imaging Flashcards
What is Arteriography?
What is it used for?
What are the advantages and disadvantages?
An invasive procedure using an x-ray and an injected dye to visualize blood vessels by maneuvering a catheter to patient’s heart using an artery
Used to identify arteriosclerosis, aneurysm, tumors and blockages
Advantages: good to diagnose vascular abnormalities
Disadvantages: invasive and can cause allergic reactions
What is Arthrography?
What is it used for?
What are the advantages and disadvantages?
An invasive procedure that injects dye into the joint space (direct) or injected into blood vessels and absorbed by joint space (indirect) and visualizes it via x-rays
Used to assess joint pathology such as tears and disruptions mostly at peripheral joints such as hips, knee, ankle, shoulder, elbow, and wrist
Advantage: provides more joint detail than regular x-rays
Disadvantages: invasive, may cause allergic reaction, may have joint swelling, and it is not good for active arthritis
What is a Bone Scan?
What is it used for?
What are the advantages and disadvantages?
An invasive procedure involving injecting dye into a patient and then using a gamma camera to see which bones have taken up the radioactive material due to increased osteoblast activity
Used to provide detail on bony structures and can identify bone disease or stress fractures with as little as 4-7% of bone loss
Advantages: uses low amount of radiation, less expensive than a PET scan, and provides detailed information of bones that an X-ray cannot
Disadvantages: invasive, requires up to 3 hours of waiting time, patient must lie still for long periods of time, allergic reaction is possible, and not recommended for pregnant patients
What is Computed Tomography?
What is it used for?
What are the advantages and disadvantages?
a non-invasive imaging procedure that involves taking x-rays from multiple angles then combining them to produce cross-sectional images and may involve a contrast medium
Used to produce images for almost any part of the body but most commonly used for spinal segments and brain studies
Advantages: quick results, multiple structures at a time, and more detailed than x-rays
Disadvantages: high dose of radiation, not good for pregnant women, contrast dye may cause allergic reaction, and uses a small space so claustrophobia may set in
What is electroencephalography?
What is it used for?
What are the advantages and disadvantages?
a non-invasive procedure used to record electrical activity of the brain via several electrodes placed on a patient’s head
used to diagnose conditions such as epilepsy or narcolepsy
Advantages: good for diagnosing brain disorders, noninvasive, detects changes over the course of milliseconds, and costs less than other imaging
Disadvantages: not great at pinpointing exact area of damage, several factors affect results, and possibly can cause seizures in epileptic patients
What is fluoroscopy?
What is it used for?
What are the advantages and disadvantages?
an x-ray technique to show motion within the body via a contrast dye into either a joint or swallowed to view the GI system
Used to see how joints and the GI system operate with movement
Advantage: visualizes movement within the body
Disadvantages: invasive, allergic reaction possible, not good for pregnant patients, and high dose of radiation
What is a Lumbar Puncture?
What is it used for?
What are the advantages and disadvantages?
an invasive procedure that is used to diagnose problems within the spine or brain by inserting a needle into the subarachnoid space of the spine and drawing CSF out to be tested
used to diagnose conditions such as encephalitis, meningitis, and GBS or measure pressure of the CFS
Advantages: useful for diagnosing a variety of brain and spinal cord pathologies
Disadvantages: invasive, can cause headaches, can’t be performed with increased cranial pressure, and patient must remain inactive during procedure
What is Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)?
What is it used for?
What are the advantages and disadvantages?
noninvasive procedure which utilizes magnetic fields and radio waves to produce cross sectional images of the body without the use of contrast dyes
Can be used for almost any structure of the body but mostly used for soft tissue injuries and
Advantages: wide variety of use, noninvasive, no radiation, safe for pregnant patients, and contrast dye is unlikely
Disadvantages: cannot be used if there is metal in the body, interferes with internal devices such as pacemakers, patient must lie still for a long time and may be claustrophobic, and is very expensive
What is Myelography?
What is it used for?
What are the advantages and disadvantages?
invasive procedure that combines x-rays and fluoroscopy or CT with use of a contrast dye to evaluate spinal structures such as nerve roots and meninges by injecting dye directly into the epidural space by lumbar puncture
used to identify bone displacement, spinal stenosis, disk herniation, tumors, or spinal cord compression
Advantages: better detail of spine than x-rays, low radiation dose, and provides spinal imaging for those who cannot use an MRI
Disadvantages: invasive, allergic reactions possible, may cause headache, and small risk of seizure
What is a nerve conduction velocity test?
What is it used for?
What are the advantages and disadvantages?
procedure used to determine extent of nerve damage by measuring the speed of an impulse through the nerve
Used to diagnose conditions such as Guillan Barre Syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, and peripheral nueropathy
Advantages: good for nerve pathology diagnosis, noninvasive, quick results
Disadvantages: precautions for pacemaker patients
What is Positron Emission Tomography?
What is it used for?
What are the advantages and disadvantages?
invasive procedure that uses radiography and an injected radionuclide to determine the metabolic activity of an organ or tissue by attaching the radionuclide to a substance that organ would use
Used for oncology to identify malignant tumors but also used for neurology and cardiology
Advantages: images the function of an organ, detects pathological changes at cellular level, low radiation dose, and identifies the onset of disease processes before other imaging techniques
Disadvantages: invasive, allergic reaction possible, not recommended for pregnant patients, patient must lay still and can be claustrophobic, and results can be affected by many factors such as pharmacology and stress levels
What is Ultrasound Imaging?
What is it used for?
What are the advantages and disadvantages?
noninvasive procedure that uses sound waves to produce images of structures within the body, especially the internal organs and is performed in real time
-doppler ultrasound is specifically used for blood flow in major veins, arteries ands cerebrovascular system
Used to view internal structures in real time
Advantages: noninvasive, real time view, no radiation, can be done on pregnant patients, and safer and less expensive than other imaging techniques
Disadvantages: quality of image largely dependent on skill of operator, cannot see structures filled with air or structures behind bone, and not as good for obese patients due to subcutaneous fat thickness
What is an Venography?
What is it used for?
What are the advantages and disadvantages?
invasive procedure that uses x-rays and an injected dye to visualize the venous system via a catheter placed into a foot vein
most often used to view lower extremity venous system but can be used for upper extremity or inferior vena cava
Advantages: effective for venous system visualization, and low dose of radiation
Disadvantages: invasive and may cause allergic reaction
