9781422279953

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

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Ultrasound Technicians