1. Marsha- As we know, the Zika virus can be passed from the mother to the fetus and can cause congenital microcephaly and other severe brain defects to the fetus. If you have a confirmed case of the Zika virus, does your department have a protocol in place for scanning these patients? Have you performed a case that there was a confirmed case of the Zika virus? If so, can you tell us what the physicians plan was for the patient and fetus? Shelby- Yes, I have scanned several cases were the mother was confirmed of having the Zika virus, as many of my patients are from or travel out of the United States. I am not aware of any specific protocol other than measuring the fetus and making sure the head measurements are normal. If the head measurements …show more content…
Although it can be more challenging to get all the images adequately on obese patients, we still perform the ultrasound in the same manner and obtain the images the best we can. Our ultrasound machines are of the newest technology and are more capable of helping us obtain the best pictures we can get on all different types of patients. On the ultrasound report, we have the option to document if it was a limited scan due to maternal adiposity. If the ultrasound technologist and the reading physician feel the images are not sufficient enough then the patient will be brought back at a later date to try to improve the …show more content…
You gratification you get from happy patients will make your job more enjoyable to do.
10. Marsha- There is Ultrasound schools out there that do not require a technologist to have an associate’s degree in Radiology. Are you for or against this type of US curriculum, explain?
Shelby- As long as the curriculum for the school includes the necessary classes and training needed; I do not think you need to be a radiologic technologist first. Necessary medical classes and a sufficient amount of hands on scan time are needed for ultrasound school.
Marsha- I understand where you are coming from, but I need to add that there is a certain level of disciple that is needed to do US. A lot of disciple is taught in that radiologic associate degree program. When we start lowering our standards, then the patients will start receiving sub-par care. Keeping standards high, keeps the quality of our profession high as well. I feel that is something to be proud of.
Thank you Shelby for your time and for being a great
Diagnostic medical sonography is a profession where sonographers direct high-frequency sound waves into a patient’s body through use of specific equipment to diagnose or monitor a patient’s medical condition. As described by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this examination is referred to as an ultrasound, sonogram, or echocardiogram. The high-frequency sound waves emitted from the handheld device, called a transducer, bounce back creating an echo and therefore produce an image that can be viewed on the sonographers computer screen. This image provides the sonographer and physician with an internal image of the patient’s body that will be used in diagnosis. The most familiar use of ultrasound is used in monitoring pregnancies, and is
Ultrasounds continue into Obstetric and Transvaginal. Obstetric is the use of ultrasound scans in pregnancy (Woo, Dr. Joseph S.K). Transvaginal are used to capture more precise images in patients who are obese and/ or in the early stages of pregnancy and is conduction through the vaginal cavity (Woo, Dr. Joseph S.K).
One of the main reasons for choosing a healthcare career in todays society, aside from the basic need for a self sustaining income, is the opportunity to make differences in peoples lives. With the demand for healthcare professionals and alternative medicines on the rise, so is the need for adequately educated trained personnel. Diagnostic Medical Sonography is becoming an increasingly attractive alternative to radiologic procedures such as x-ray and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Accounting for approximately 50,300 jobs in the United States in 2008, compared to the 214,000 jobs held by radiologic technicians, according to
Many pregnant women have been taking advantage of Florida’s offer of free Zika testing. The con with the free testing is that state laboratories have been unable to keep pace with the amount of women using this benefit. This has resulted in hold ups for women anxious to know whether the virus has passed to their fetuses. The reason for so many women concerns is “babies infected
Medical sonographers’ scope of practice indicates that all professionals in this field must be educationally prepared and must have all the certifications and credentials from accredited schools. It also states that sonographers are entrust agents of doctors and they can’t practice independently. One of the responsibilities of a sonographer is to evaluate patients’ information, like confirming their identification and assure that the procedure that the patient will receive is the one that the physician indicated. Also they are accountable for the performing of a suitable examination, applying the correct protocol, evaluating and documenting the results of the ultrasound and deliver excellent quality of care to patients. Diagnostic medical sonographers must also maintain their license and certifications updated and collaborate with the
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
Someone would need to know what it takes and the daily routines of an ultrasound technician if they are hoping to become one. A person should know the amount and the type of schooling needed. They should know what classes are needed, and they should also know the advancements and changes in the profession in the last few years to know what is ahead of them and why the school curriculum has changed. The reason I am writing this paper is because I would like to know, and to share what I found. I have wanted to become an ultrasound technician for years, but have put it off because I have been out of school 14 years and was scared to come back. I would love to work in an obstetrician’s office, because that would be my dream job. The reason I want to become one is because most of my family is in the medical field somewhere so I have the background and lots of knowledge, but I don’t care for the blood and guts that go with most of the careers in the medical field. With radiology it is non-evasive I love babies, also. I wouldn’t mind going into other fields of the industry either.
People who are infected with Zika won’t even notice, signs of being infected are, pain in eyes, fever, chills, joints or muscle fatigue, sweating and loss
A possible solution for finding out if the virus is spreading, is take blood or urine from the people that have had contact with this patient. Another outcome to stop all Zika would be to find a cure or supplement to breed into the mosquito species. This is hard to find an outcome for because with some of patients, nobody knows how they got the virus in the first place. All of the civilized nations should come together, before Zika gets out of hand and figure out a way to detect the virus and stop it from
Zika Virus swept the media in 2016. It reminded everyone of the 1999 West Nile virus because of the similarities amongst the symptoms of the two viruses. Contrastingly, Zika Virus has a slightly different mode of transmission. The virus is a member of the flaviviridae family and flavivirus genus and is a positive, single stranded, RNA virus (Kuno, 1). Zika Virus has been known to severely affect pregnant women. In pregnant women, Zika Virus causes a birth defect resulting in abnormally small brain sizes in babies called microcephaly. Mosquito born Zika Virus transmission has been reported in 68 countries and 14 of those countries have reported microcephaly associated with Zika Virus (Kelley,1). A mosquito infected with Zika Virus that bites
Two-year associate degree is commonly accepted. After two years of educational expenses, sonographers graduate to find that their services are in demand and that starting salaries are generous enough to justify the investment in a college education. Since sonography is in high demand you have job security, good benefits packages, and the opportunity for ultrasound career development and the satisfaction for helping patients as part of a dedicated team of health care professionals. Not only do ultrasound technicians receive good health benefits, but they also extend down to their family as well. This job helps to diagnose people who may be experiencing a disease or an illness. Its real time capabilities allow it to be used for guiding biopsies and other procedures and can ensure that the best images are gathered during diagnostic scans. The procedures are safe, painless, and non-invasive. The ultrasound machine is also portable. It can help diagnose a range of conditions in different parts of the body, such as the abdomen, pelvis, blood vessels, breast, kidneys, muscles, bone and joints. Ultrasounds are used to check the health of a baby during pregnancy. Because sonographers are part of a patient-facing service, they have the chance to provide a personal touch to patient care. Many ultrasound technicians find this is an intensely rewarding experience. There
As a society, we need to focused on the care of the Zika Virus populations. World Health organizations have focused on containing and eliminating the Zika virus. However, there is still an urgent need for the children born with microcephaly because of the Zika Virus. Resources will need to be put in place to ensure the rights of the children with microcephaly. Children with complex needs will need to have access to early intervention and ongoing support. will be crucial. Loing term support service will be vail.
Sifferlin states, “First discovered in Uganda's Zika forest in 1947” (Sifferlin). With that being said it does not seem as if the government is doing much research into what to do about the spreading virus. Sifferlin states, “Even now, many people who get infected will never know it, and if they start showing signs of infection, such as a rash, red eyes, fever or joint pain, doctors have little to offer other than advice to stay hydrated or take Tylenol as needed” (Sifferlin). Due to the fact that the virus can be spread sexually, if one has visited any place where Zika Virus is present, it is extremely important to get tested to avoid spread of the virus to others. However, the tests take weeks for results and are not covered by most
I currently attend Baton Rouge General School of Radiologic Technology to pursue an Associates degree through Northwestern State University. I chose this profession because I always want to help others. I want to play a part in the healing process of patients. Being able to help people determine things going on inside their body interest me and that is why I chose Radiology. The true definition of a Radiologic Technologist is the “medical personnel who perform diagnostic imaging examinations and administer radiation therapy treatments. They are educated in anatomy, patient positioning, examination techniques, equipment protocols, radiation safety, radiation protection and basic patient care”. This definition makes this job seem easy but it is not an easy job at all. We do so much pushing, pulling, and lifting of patients it is physically exhausting. When I first chose this profession I did not think there would be this much to taking images of someone. It is more than just placing a patient somewhere and
Diagnostics to confirm a diagnosis of Zika virus were unable to be performed due to the patient’s time of presentation. In contacting the CDC the representative explained that given the location of Martinique and presentation of symptoms it could be assumed the patient was infected by clinical diagnosis. The patient did not need further evaluation other then general laboratory studies and a confirmed negative HCG. Further diagnostic test to confirm the patient was infected with Zika virus would have only been conclusive during symptomatic presentation or 7-10 days after.