9781422279953

Ultrasound Technicians

Careers in Healthcare

Athletic Trainers Clinical & Medical Laboratory Scientists Dental Hygienists Dietitian Nutritionists EMTs & Paramedics Nurses Physical Therapists Physician Assistants Respiratory Therapists Speech Pathologists & Audiologists Ultrasound Technicians Occupational Therapists Orthotists & Prosthetists

Ultrasound Technicians

Jennifer Hunsaker

Mason Crest Philadelphia

Mason Crest 450 Parkway Drive, Suite D

Broomall, PA 19008 www.masoncrest.com ©2018 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher.

Printed and bound in the United States of America. CPSIA Compliance Information: Batch #CHC2017. For further information, contact Mason Crest at 1-866-MCP-Book. First printing 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

on file at the Library of Congress ISBN: 978-1-4222-3807-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4222-7995-3 (ebook) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4222-3337-5 (hc) ISBN 978-1-4222-8622-7 (ebook)

1. Southwestern States—Juvenile literature. 2. Arizona—Juvenile literature. 3. California—Juvenile literature. 4. Nevada—Juvenile literature. I. Title. F785.7.L37 2015 979—dc23 2014050200

Careers in Healthcare series ISBN: 978-1-4222-3794-6

QR CODES AND LINKS TO THIRD-PARTY CONTENT You may gain access to certain third party content (“Third-Party Sites”) by scanning and using the QR Codes that appear in this publication (the “QR Codes”). We do not operate or control in any respect any information, products, or services on such Third-Party Sites linked to by us via the QR Codes included in this publication, and we assume no responsibility for any materials you may access using the QR Codes. Your use of the QR Codes may be subject to terms, limitations, or restrictions set forth in the applicable terms of use or otherwise established by the owners of the Third-Party

Sites. Our linking to such Third-Party Sites via the QR Codes does not imply an endorsement or sponsorship of such Third-Party Sites, or the information, products, or services offered on or through the Third- Party Sites, nor does it imply an endorsement or sponsorship of this publication by the owners of such Third-Party Sites.

4

Table of Contents 1: What Do Diagnostic Medical Sonographers Do? 7 2: A Look at the Opportunities ................................17 3: Education and Training ........................................27 4: Evolution of the Profession ..................................37 5: Overview and Interview ......................................47 Series Glossary of Key Terms....................................58 Further Reading ........................................................60 Internet Resources ....................................................61 Index ..........................................................................62 Photo Credits/About the Author..............................64

Words to understand: These words with their easy-to-understand definitions will increase the reader’s understanding of the text while building vocabulary skills.

Sidebars: This boxed material within the main text allows readers to build knowl- edge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Educational Videos: Readers can view videos by scanning our QR codes, providing them with additional educational content to supplement the text. Examples include news coverage, moments in history, speeches, iconic sports moments and much more!

Text-dependent questions: These questions send the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there.

Research projects: Readers are pointed toward areas of further inquiry connected to each chapter. Suggestions are provided for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. Series glossary of key terms: This back-of-the-book glossary contains terminology used throughout this series. Words found here increase the reader’s ability to read and comprehend higher-level books and articles in this field.

5

An ultrasound image of a fetus.

Words to Understand in This Chapter

allied health care professions— professions, aside from pharmacy or nursing, that make the health care system function by providing diagnostic or technical care or therapy to patients. conductive gel— a specialized water-based gel used to help ultrasound waves pass from the wand through the skin in a more efficient manner. noninvasive— referring to a medical procedure that does not require making cuts in or inserting instruments into the body. sonography— the analysis of sound waves using a device that creates a graphical representation, or picture, of the frequencies.

1

What Do Diagnostic Medical Sonographers Do? A pregnant woman visits her doctor’s office twenty weeks into her pregnancy, excited to learn the gen- der of her baby. A 12-year-old boy complaining of pain in his lower abdomen waits in the emergency room with his parents to find out what is wrong with him. A college foot- ball player leaves the game with an injured knee, anxious to know if he will need surgery. Each of these people will be examined by a diagnostic medical sonographer who will use ultrasound technology to look at the soft tissues, organs, or joints in their body so doctors can make a diagnosis.

7

What Is a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer? A diagnostic medical sonographer (DMS), also known as an ultra- sound technician, is a medical professional who uses sonography to construct an image of a body’s internal organs or structures. Sonography is a noninvasive procedure in which high-frequency sound waves are bounced off the body’s tissues, organs, or other struc- tures. These echoes are then pieced together in a matter of millisec- onds to form a picture. Regardless of the specialty area in which a DMS works, the basic responsibilities of diagnostic medical sonographers can be divided into four parts—obtaining a patient history, performing diagnostic proce- dures, reporting findings to physicians, and maintaining their equip- ment. Obtaining Patient History For any medical procedure, obtaining an accurate and detailed patient history is one of the most important parts of the diagnostic and treat- ment process. DMSs may not need to know a patient’s entire medical history, but they will need to ask about prior surgeries and medical procedures, past reactions to imaging dyes, medical devices that may interfere with sonography, and what the patient is being seen for. They will also use this time to put the patient at ease and talk about the process of sonography. They will assure the patient that sonogra- phy does not hurt, but allows the physician to get an accurate picture of the area of the body under examination. Performing Diagnostic Procedures Once the patient history has been taken, the DMS can then begin to perform sonography on the area of the body in question. Diagnostic

8

Ultrasound Technicians

An ultrasound uses high frequency sound waves to create a picture of the soft tissues of the body.

imaging equipment may vary from one hospital or doctor’s office to another. An assortment of attachments may be used to see different parts of the body, but a wand with a flat head is used for most imaging. A special conductive gel is spread on the body. Ultrasound waves do not travel well through air. The gel eliminates any air that may exist in dry pockets, wrinkles, or imperfections in the skin and keeps the ultrasound waves trav- eling at the necessary speed to gain an accurate picture of the area of concern.

What Do Diagnostic Medical Sonographers Do?

9

During the course of the examination, the DMS must use her knowledge of human anatomy and physiology as well as her familiarity with her particular specialty to gain the neces- sary images of the patient’s body. She will need to look at the patient’s diagnosis and determine the types and number of

“The Ultrasound Kept Me Together” A patient was asked to share a real-life story about her interaction with a diagnostic medical sonographer. She told the following story about her experience with a DMS in a small suburban hospital: “I was 30 weeks’ pregnant with my fourth baby when I started having lower back pain. I figured I had overdone it at the gym that day and didn’t think anything of it. When I got up the next morning and saw that my urine looked like fruit punch, I had my husband take me to the hospital emergency room, knowing something was wrong. “The ER nurses sent me right up to labor and delivery, where they hooked me up to a fetal heart monitor and started running tests. When they saw that I was, in fact, urinating what looked like fruit punch, they started using phrases like ‘kidney failure’ and ‘premature delivery.’ Within minutes, an ultrasound tech rolled into the room with a giant portable ultrasound machine to look at my kidneys. I have had ultrasounds before. This was my fourth baby! But never before did I hold my breath the way I did that morning.

10

Ultrasound Technicians

images that are required. Since the physician is generally not in the room with the DMS during sonography, the DMS uses her best judgment to extend the scope of her testing, based on what she finds. If more images of an area are required, it is up to the DMS to take the images without being asked.

“The ultrasound tech made a decision that morning to check on our daughter first so we could see that she was still okay. She squirted the odd blue gel on my belly and started talking while she was taking pictures. “Is this your first baby?” she asked. “No, our fourth, but she’s our first girl.” “How fun! Do you have a name picked out?” “Hannah.” “Well, Hannah looks great. Her heart rate is strong, she is right on target for her gestational age. Now let’s take a look at your kidneys, Mom.” I rolled over on my side, knowing that no matter what she said next, my daughter was okay. While I couldn’t see the ultra- sound machine, the tech kept talking to my husband and the nurse in the room. That day I was diagnosed with a kidney stone that was causing my symptoms. And even though it was uncom- fortable, it was something that I could wait to treat until after I had the baby. I will forever be grateful to that ultrasound tech who, when I was the most scared I have ever been, took a minute to put my mind at ease when she didn’t have to.

What Do Diagnostic Medical Sonographers Do?

11

Reporting Findings to Physicians Once the images have been taken, it is up to the DMS to pro- vide a verbal or written summa- ry of his findings as well as copies of the images he took. These images will then be used to make or confirm a medical diagnosis. In some cases, sonog- raphy is used during a proce- dure as well. The DMS will then be required to give the physician the proper field of vision to perform the proce- dure. This requires a high level of communication, not only with physicians, but with other members of the health care team as well. Educational Video

Scan here for an

overview of the diagnos- tic medical sonographer profession:

Maintaining Ultrasound Equipment At the end of every appointment, DMSs must take time to

Did You Know?

The ultrasound gel used by diagnostic medical sonographers is made of a chemical called propylene glycol, plus water and sometimes a dye. The dye does not actually make the gel work better, but it helps DMSs see where they have placed the gel. It is thick and a little bit sticky, so when it is applied to the skin it does not drip or run. Since it is water-based, it can then be easily wiped off the skin after the examination.

12

Ultrasound Technicians

A specialized wand is used to send sound waves into the body, receive the waves, and inter- pret the frequencies into a “picture.”

clean and maintain their equipment. Regularly maintaining the equipment reduces the spread of germs from one patient to another. It also keeps expensive diagnostic equipment func- tioning the way it should. This process generally includes removing the paper from the examination table and cleaning and sanitizing the wand and cord that came in contact with the patient’s skin. The ultrasound machine itself will occasionally be calibrated to ensure that the most accurate pictures are taken. Additional software may be downloaded to fix any bugs with the way the machine works or make it easier for DMSs to create, save, or print images.

What Do Diagnostic Medical Sonographers Do? 13

Once an ultrasound is taken, the images are sent to a radiologist or physician for interpre- tation.

Why Sonography Is Important Physicians rely on DMSs to provide clear, accurate pictures of a patient’s body in order to make an accurate diagnosis. It is this diagnosis that will determine the types of treatment the patient receives. Technical expertise is vital to the way a DMS does the job. However, it is not enough to simply be good at what you do. Like many allied health care professions , sonog- raphy is a patient-centered experience. Many people who come to a hospital, clinic, or physician’s office are in pain, under

14

Ultrasound Technicians