Ultrasonography is an imaging modality that gives way to seeing within the human body and the structures that inhabit it. One main interest of ultrasound would be to visualize internal organs–such as the kidneys—and measure the dimensions they possess in order to understand more about them. Kidneys are retroperitoneal organs that appear as bean-shaped structures in the abdomen. Kidneys aid in systemic responsibilities such as the following: “to regulate blood pressure, to maintain levels of electrolytes, and to prevent buildup of wastes and extra fluid in the body” (Young, 2015). The parameters of kidneys on ultrasound can tell a lot about each kidney’s structure and function, if any. Renal ultrasound exams are important in clinical use because “in many renal disorders, it is known that there is a close relationship between renal size and its function” (Arooj, 2011). For instance, a kidney …show more content…
Therefore, it is “important that sonographic renal length measurements are consistent, both for replicate measurements by a single ulrasonographer and by different sonographers” (Ablett, 1995). There is a basis on which measurements are to be carried out when conducting these examinations. Each kidney will be measured in two planes in order to determine the kidney’s parameters. However, each ultrasonographer has his or her way of conducting kidney measurements that may be slightly different from another sonographer. One would like to know if the difference, if any, between the dimensions acquired by separate sonographers is large enough to change the outcome. Through observation, one would like to better understand why the need for accurate reproducibility is needed in sonography. This will be beneficial to one as a future sonographer in regards to being the most efficient with each patient that comes along; one incorrect measurement could be detrimental to a patient’s
Being able to identify lumps, swelling, tissue damage, cysts, and the overwhelming news of the sex of a baby all have something in common, an ultrasound. Swelling of the spleen, kidney stones, blood clots, aneurysms, cancer and so much more can be identified through the works of an ultrasound’s imaging technique. Ultrasound involves many concepts, procedures, and careers. The amount of medical possibilities involved with ultrasounds is useful in major medical diagnostics. The field of ultrasounds and career opportunities are widely growing. As medical careers flourish, needs for technicians in many fields of medicine are increasing. Instead of a doctor choosing complex and risky surgery to find out problems within the body, they can now
The increasing demand for diagnostic imaging and therapeutic technology promises an exceptional outlook for sonographers. The majority of diagnostic medical sonographers are employed by hospitals, but accessibility to low-cost portable ultrasound equipment has led to a growing number of career opportunities at clinics and diagnostic centers (Rising Demand for Diagnostic Medical Sonographers). They now have access to portable units as small as laptop computers making commuting from hospital bedsides to clinical practices easier. Since some sonographers make their own schedules through contracts with clinics, these portable units make traveling much more convenient.
Diagnostic medical sonography is a physically demanding profession that involves remaining on foot for majority of the work day. This includes having to move around to different patients, occasionally having to assist disabled patients into different positions and move them to other areas. A sonographer must also lift, push and pull heavy equipment. The constant demand for strength can lead to general physical exhaustion, and the long hours that are sometimes required can add to physical stress. Mental fatigue is also a factor in this profession caused by a few reasons, including the responsibility of carrying out critical health assessments. It is imperative scans are accurate to avoid missed observations which could lead to overlooked emerging
One main reason some continue to doubt the accuracy of sonographers would be due to the fact that each sonographer tends to scan slightly different for kidneys—or in general. Each kidney is partially encased in ribs and surrounded by other abdominal organs, causing sonographers to get creative with scanning techniques. Right kidneys tend to be easier to get to due to the location beneath the liver, which causes a more inferior position; left kidneys are slightly larger and more superior in the abdomen and cause more of an issue (Paiva, 2014). This can cause one sonographer to roll a patient up in a more oblique position to locate kidneys while another sonographer may always keep a patient truly supine; although, most sonographers do use both
Sonography is a non-invasive medical procedure that uses the echoes of high-frequency sound waves to construct an image of internal organs or body structures. The employment rate is is expected to grow 26 percent from 2014 to 2024. Since ultrasound is non-invasive, it is more encouraged than other methods so the career is always in demand. Diagnostic medical sonographers duties are to prepare and maintain diagnostic imaging equipment, taking a patients medical history, answering questions about the procedure, operating the equipment, review images and test results, know the difference between normal and abnormal images, analyze diagnostic information, record findings, and keep track of patient records. Hospitals, offices of physicians, medical
This way they can see if the kidney is an abnormal size, if the kidney is scarred, or if there are any cysts (it’s rare to see cysts). By using ultrasound imaging, they can even diagnose fetuses with ARPKD.
Diagnostic imaging techniques can be used to create images of blood vessels, tissues, and organs, to determine whether the shape or size of the kidney is abnormal. Ultrasounds can be used to view internal organs as they function, and to assess blood flow through various vessels. Biopsies can also be performed for examination under a microscope to determine if cancer or other abnormal cells are present or suspected all as part of the diagnosis process.
The ultrasound scans are uesed to helping the surgeon when carrying out some types of biopseis, but also the ultrasound are used to detect problems and can provide a view of the bladder, brain (in infants), eyes, gallbladder, kidneys, liver, ovaries, pancreas, spleen, thyroid, testicles, uterus and blood
My interest in radiology started to form during a month-long ultrasound immersion course before starting my third year of medical school. The combination of physics and state-of-the-art technology resonated with my engineering background. It was fascinating to perceive patient anatomy and pathology in real-time using ultrasound. Moreover, I began to appreciate the clinical utility of imaging in diagnosis and medical decision making across all medical fields. During my third year rotations I was exposed to additional imaging modalities and their clinical applications, deepening my connection to radiology. As a visual and analytical person, I was naturally drawn to my patient’s imaging studies. For me, the intellectual challenge of searching for subtle imaging findings and correlating them to a patient’s history, physical and lab values was stimulating. Further, I was impressed by the breadth of minimally invasive therapeutic procedures performed
Ultrasound and MRI are devices which are used in medicine. These devices are used to provide patients with a correct diagnosis and treatment. An ultrasound sends sound waves into the body and listens for the sound waves that are bounced back. Whereas, an MRI uses magnetic fields to line up the molecules inside our bodies. The MRI machine is huge and expensive whereas, an ultrasound machine is small and cheap. An ultrasound scanner cannot view through a bone in the body whereas, an MRI can view through the bone. In an MRI, the patient has to remain very still until the procedure ends, while for an ultrasound the radiographer can see what is happening inside the patient, for example, what the tissues do under stress. Ultrasound scanning produce
Ultrasonography completely depends on the user, meaning that only a highly skilled and savvy professional can use this tool correctly (Finch). These professionals are referred to as sonographers. Sonographers may deal with patients ranging from perfectly healthy to close to death (Finch). Ultrasonography is mainly used for authenticating pregnancies and giving an estimated date for the birth of the baby. Sonographers must have
Sonography is a medical diagnostic imaging technique that uses ultrasound to produce pictures of internal body structures. This technique is widely used because it is low-risk and relatively cheap. Therefore, this method can be used for many different applications. For example, examining babies in pregnant women or doing heart examinations. However, there are further developed forms, like the Doppler-Sonography, that even allows us to determine the flow speed of blood and the direction of the blood flow. These are the reasons why Sonography is widely used and an indispensable medical diagnostic
Today, fluoroscopic contrast examinations (X-ray enteroclysis and X-ray small-bowel follow-through), to whom we owe all the semeiotics of this disease, are increasingly less preferred over other imaging modalities that show better extramural alterations and complications. In fact, some extramural alterations and complications have been the most important limitations of the conventional radiological examination. CT enterography and MR enterography (MRE) exceed these limits, but they have disadvantages attributable mainly to ionizing radiation in the first case and the need for sedation or claustrophobic troubles in the second case. MRE still has other disadvantages, such as long acquisition times that require an effective collaboration of the patient, the high cost and limited availability of the instrument in hospitals.
An Ultrasound is an exam that uses high frequency waves to examine a pregnant women’s abdominal and pelvic cavity. The examination creates an on-screen picture (Sonogram) of the baby and the placenta. Ultrasounds and Sonograms are different but reference the same thing in the examination. There are seven different types of Ultrasounds/Sonograms, but the process is very similar within each one. The seven different ones are; Transvaginal scans, Standard Ultrasounds, Advanced Ultrasounds, Doppler Ultrasounds, 3-D Ultrasounds, 4-D or Dynamic 3-D Ultrasounds and Fetal Echocardiography.
Sound waves ranging from one to five megahertz hit boundaries between tissue. The boundary may be soft tissue, or soft tissue and bone. Reflected waves are sensed by the probe and relayed to the ultrasound machine. The machine will calculate the distance between the probe and the boundaries found, such as an organ or tissue. The calculations are based on the time of each echo’s return using the speed of sound (1,540 ft. /s). This produces a two dimensional image on the ultrasound machine’s screen, displaying the intensities and the distances of the echoes. Using this information, doctors can then diagnose many medical issues while not using invasive surgery. (Odorico, Jon, Dr., UW-Madison Transplant Surgery, Personal interview. Tuesday Apr.