Week 1 content Flashcards
(26 cards)
Role of a sonographer
A sonographer primarily acts like a medical detective, assisting the interpreting physician in figuring out why the patient needs health care in this particular visit.
What does a sonographer do?
A sonographer prepares and sets up equipment, connects and relates the clues that will allow the doctor to identify what is wrong with the patient.
Patient Preparation
- Informing the patient about ultrasound procedure
- Verify the patient’s identity
- Verify the proper study was ordered
- Verify the patient is properly prepared for the study (includes fasting)
- Answer any questions the patient might have about the procedure
Equipment Preparation
- Ensure equipment is operating at peak efficiency
- Sonographer needs to run quality control tests regularly, make any necessary adjustments, and apply necessary parameters for the specific study
- Sonographers may be responsible for scheduling the use of imaging equipment
What is the sonographer’s role after the patient leaves?
Disease prevention by making sure the equipment and devices used are properly sanitized
Who discovered X-rays?
W.C. Rontgen
Who was the prospect for medical diagnosis?
Glasser
What does radiation energy do?
Radiation energy penetrates most biological tissues with little attenuation and thus provide a comparatively simple means to produce shadow (or projection) images of the human body
What are x-rays used for?
X rays are commonly used to assess skeletal structures
Diagnostic ultrasound imaging
High frequency pulses of acoustic energy are emitted into the patient’s body where they experience reflection at boundaries between tissues of different characteristic impedance.
Magnetics Resonance Imaging (MRI) or Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (NMR)
The patient is placed inside a strong magnetic field that is usually generated by a large bore superconducting magnet. Used to obtain images as a function of proton spin density and relation times.
How is Radioisotope Imaging different from the other modalities?
The radiation originates from inside the body
Radioisotope Imaging
Radioisotope tagged compounds in tracer quantities are injected into the patient’s body where they decay and produce detectable y-photons. This makes it possible to obtain images of the distribution of the radionuclide.
What is Radioisotope Imaging used for?
Used to see physiological function such as blood flow, blood volume and various metabolic process
Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT)
Provides functional images with improved contrast at the expense of spatial resolution, as compared to planar radioisotope imaging
Accreditation
The process that recognizes and authorizes an institution, a school, or a program for demonstrating ability in a special area of practice or training. Authorizes school or institution to instruct students in that area of practice or training.
CAAHEP
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC-DMS)
Maintains and promotes appropriate standards of quality for educational programs in DMS
General Medical Sonography
(RDMS) Sub-specialty areas: obstetrics/ gynecology, abdominal, neurosonology, breast, opthamology
What is the difference between Vascular and General sonographers?
A general specialty can preform limited vascular studies, only a registered vascular technologist (RVT) may properly be able to measure and interpret parameters that evaluate cerebral, peripheral and abdominal circulation
States that have passed or proposed licensures
NM, WV, OR, and NJ
COE: Principle I
To promote patient well being
COE: Principle II
To promote the highest level of competent practice
COE: Principle III
To promote professional integrity and public trust
