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Diagnostic medical sonographer essay
Essays on diagnostic medical sonography
Essay on diagnostic medical sonography
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Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Diagnostic Medical Sonography, also known as ultrasound, has opened up many opportunities to patients all over the world with the ability to capture live images from inside their body. This allows doctors to see problems with organs, tissues and vessels without anything but a simple transducer. Sonography has been an important advancement in technology with many scientists contributing to the development. It has also played a huge role in preventive care for the population for things such as pregnancies, cardiovascular disease and cancers. It is very popular in the United States due to the availability of the knowledgeable sonographers as well as the U.S being able to afford the expensive equipment. Developing
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countries though lack these opportunities and have little to none experience in sonography because of low resources, poverty, and lack of knowledge in health care. Many advancements are always being made in the medical field but technology seems to be advancing quicker than anything else. Diagnostic Medical Sonography happens to be a very important advancement that can be traced all the way back to the ancient Greeks. Many scientist have contributed to this advancement in many ways along the way. A man name Pythagoras started off the discovery by creating a sonometer, an instrument used to study musical sounds. Relations made from using this instrument were used to discover that sound travels in waves. This assumption was linked to music but not medicine. Many believe though that when French physicist, Pierre Curie, discovered piezoelectricity back in 1877 was the main eye opener for the development of ultrasound. Jacques, Pierre’s brother, also conducted an experiment resulting in the conclusion that when crystals are subjected to an electrical field they expand and create mechanical energy. The electric energy from these crystals then receive and transmit sound waves. These experiments created the idea of using an instrument called a transducer to make sound waves to produce an image. The desire to see within the body was sparked by many other scientists after this discovery. William Conrad Roentgen was not apart of the sonography development, but used the knowledge from this growing idea to create x-rays in 1895. The sinking of the Titanic in 1912 also contributed to the Curie brothers idea because many people after the ship sank were interested in how to view things that were submerged. Overall, ultrasound should dedicate its technological advances to war. This is because Langevin, a Curie brother student, was asked by the French government to develop a device capable of locating enemy submarines that had been submerged in World War I. The device he made was not ready in time to be used in World War I but was created successfully and formed the idea of sonar detection. All of these determined scientist combined their findings and resulted in one main idea, the evolution of ultrasound technology. A neurologist named Karl Dussik is said the be the first physician to apply the uses of ultrasound in a medical practice way. He used ultrasound to locate brain tumors, see how efficiently cerebral ventricles were working and sterilization of vaccines for cancer therapy in his patients. This study of medicine using this technology was then named Diagnostic Medical Sonography and is the result of all the scientist that contributed to the discovery. Sonography was said to be a cure-all technological advancement. This machine is used for anything and everything to look inside the body such as arthritis, eczema and gastric ulcers. Today there are way over 20,000 accredited Diagnostic Medical Sonographers who are certified to provide them exams to patients all over the world (“Ultrasound History”). So, how does sonography work and what is it used for?
Sonography is a very complex field of medicine and requires a lot of scientific knowledge on how each instrument is used to create an image. A instrument called a transducer is used for each procedure. The transducer sends out high frequency, inaudible sound waves then listens for the sounds of the echoes bouncing off the tissue or organs being examined. Special crystallized sound gel is placed on the skin for the transducer to slide upon to create the best electrical field for the waves to produce an image. These ultrasound procedures are commonly used to diagnose many conditions or diseases. Some major organs usually looked at with ultrasound are heart, gallbladder, brain and uterus (“Ultrasound (Sonography).”). There are three areas in which sonographers can specialize in that are general, echocardiography, and vascular ultrasound. General ultrasound is the study of the abdomen, male and female pelvis, obstetrics and superficials structures such as the breast. Echocardiography is the ultrasound specialty of infants, children and adult heart anatomy. Vascular sonographers then specializes in the anatomy of veins. All three of them require a certification, associates or bachelors degree in to be able to be registered by the …show more content…
SMDS. Sonogram exams are super beneficial in anybodys health. They can be used for preventive care for things such as pregnancies, cardiovascular disease, gynecologic checkups, and cancers. Sonography exams are open to anyone just like any other medical services, but depending on financial or insurance reasons it may be difficult for some to participate in these procedures. (“Medscape Log In.”) Barriers to health care can be insurmountable for low income families, even those with insurance coverage. Patients who do not seek care in family medicine clinics are not necessarily getting their care elsewhere. Children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds have poorer health outcomes. These health disparities are due, in part, to barriers in accessing medical care and utilizing primary care services. (“Medscape Log In.”) Sonograms are very costly, especially when the patient has to pay out of pocket because they do not have insurance or their insurance doesn’t cover it. The average cost for a pregnant women fetal ultrasound is about $280 per sonogram procedure. If proper care is not received in situations such as pregnancy is may cause life threatening complications to occur (“The Cost Ultrasound…). So, people with low income or no insurance benefits will have a very rough time participating in these preventive care procedures and will be putting their health at risk. (“Health Screening Services”) Sonography is very popular in the United States, but what about the other parts of the developing world?
In low income countries it is very difficult for the health care facilities to obtain the equipment they need to perform ultrasound exams. Hospitals and clinics themselves are very scarce and low on resources. Most hospitals in these developing countries do not even have soap or water for their staff or patients to wash their hands. More than 40% of the hospitals consist of some sanitary water or none at all. This means the babies being born are put around very high unhygienic conditions and most of the time die shortly after because of illness from these conditions (Reuters). Research has been done over 26 hospitals in the eight developing countries among the Middle East and Africa concluding that their is more than one death per day in these facilities. The deaths are caused more from the reason of lack of knowledge of the health care workers and lack of supervision. (Annals of the New York…) The conditions of these visiting patients are also very serious due to the lack of knowledge to treat simple diseases and to take part in preventive care. (“Health Screening Services”) People in these developing worlds also will have to travel extremely far to reach these health facilities and many do not have the money to do so. This is because there is less doctors and nurses per 1,000 of the population that need to be taken care of. In these WHO countries Europe has the most
doctors per 1,000 people at 3.2. Africa has the lowest at .21 doctors per 1,000 of the population. Africa continues to be the lowest for nurses as well with .92 nurses per 1,000 of its population. The average amount of beds for 10,000 patients is less than 1 (Annals of the New York…). With these known facts it very easy to conclude that the use of Diagnostic Medical Sonography has probably never been used in these countries. The equipment needed to perform these exams are way too costly for these countries so they simply do not have them. Pregnancy in these countries will be very high due to the lack of contraception options available to the women. Their health overall will be at risk as well as the growing fetus. The pregnant mother will not be able to evaluate her baby’s health and see if the baby is growing properly. The mother may not even known she is pregnant and can cause harm to the fetus by continuing bad habits, or participating in physical activities that she might not include herself in while knowing she is pregnant. Complications may occur during a pregnancy causing pain, high blood pressure, bleeding or gestational diabetes that can put the mother herself at a higher risk of death. Consequently, the ultrasound equipment or sonographers themselves are not available so deaths of pregnant women will continue to occur due to lack of prenatal care for both the mother and the baby.
Diagnostic medical sonography is a profession where sonographers direct high-frequency sound waves into a patient’s body through the 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 the diagnosis. The most familiar use of ultrasound is used in monitoring pregnancies and is provided by obstetric and gynecologic sonographers, who also provide imaging of the female reproductive system. Other types of sonography include; abdominal sonography, breast sonography, musculoskeletal sonography, neurosonography and cardiovascular sonography. Due to the vast nature of uses in sonography, most professionals study one field that they choose to specialize in. Diagnostic medical sonography is a rapidly growing field because of the increase in medical advances. The area of Cleveland, Ohio has continued to rise in the medical field with great strides, providing better career prospects with the availability of numerous employment positions.
Anything from helping a patient discover an issue in their body to allow them to get proper treatment to seeing the smiling faces of a future parent as they see their unborn child can be extremely rewarding for an ultrasound technician. Many people want to choose the path of an ultrasound technician as their career path in life, but getting started can seem complicated. With some good planning and helpful tips, you can be well on your way to a great career as an ultrasound technician.
According to society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography website; sonographers are responsible for, “ a certification on Medical field, and be specialized in any part like abdomen or vascular”. The program provides educational and clinical experience that result inextensive knowledge. “...sonographer certification/credential in each of speciality areas in which the sonographer practices”. Associate and bachelor’s degree are available to any medical sonographer in the medical field. (South Texas College website) “ Throughout the clinical and practicum aspects of the program, students will train in various medical facilities”. ( South Texas College
The dream that I most desire in life is to become a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer. I’ve always had an interest in the inner workings of the human body, but I also value life, and care for others, and my happiness is the happiness of others. Although this career has its bumps on the road just to see mothers face light up when they see the image of their unborn baby is such a breath taking experience. This all originated from going to one of my sisters’ ultrasound appointment that I ended up going to all my sisters’ ultrasound appointments. I believe becoming a diagnostic medical sonographer is something I can do because I have what it takes. Diagnostic medical sonographer is imaging modality that can work in conjunction with other imaging modalities
Do diagnostic Medical Sonographers actually help begin a new life? Yes, according to researchers they do help patients indicate any problems that there may be and what may be expected. This essay will talk about Diagnostic Medical Sonographers and everything it takes to become one and how to become successful as well as why they are important to our global community. Sonographer’s are also known as ultrasound Technicians, they are very important in the medical field because they help patients and physicians diagnose and treat diseases as well as other medical information. The following paragraphs will talk about the information of the Salary and also the Job Responsibilities. With the technicians continuously providing
I have always been fascinated with the medical field ever since I was little, my first choice for electives were always health science and anatomy classes. After my cousin, Deanna, had her first child and receive her first ultrasound, I knew that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. The ultrasound technician had made her feel so comforted and just made the entire experience enjoyable for everyone; I’m eager to be able to start my life with a job that I know I will love. Anytime that I meet someone who is in the field themselves, I always ask questions and listen to what they do throughout the day to get some real insight on what being a technician really entails.
Ultrasound Technicians are very valuable in the world of health care. Also known as Diagnostic Medical Sonographer, an Ultrasound Technician uses special machines and equipment that operates on sound waves to determine or diagnose medical problems for patients. There are specializations within this field in which some individuals explore. For instance, areas of specialization includes but not limited to; pregnancy, heart health, gynecology, and abdominal sonography. Although each specializing branch has its own distinctive function, they all involve probing the body to facilitate doctors with diagnoses.
Choosing this field is something that has a profound connection with my personal life. Becoming a Diagnostic Medical sonographer would mean that I have accomplished life long dream. Ever since I was a little, I always wanted to be in the medical field. I have always had a big heart and wanted to help people so when I saw the important role that sonographers play in the medical field, it became clear to me that being a sonographer was exactly what I want to do with my life. In 2007 someone who was very important to me passed away due to gastric cancer. When my grandmother, who was a mother, father, and a friend to me, was diagnosed with gastric cancer my world collapsed. It was devastating news, not only for me but also for the whole family.
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 choose a safer path; the ultrasound path. Patient’s history and physical evaluation are building blocks to diagnostics but ultrasounds are much greater. They are powerful tools used to see beyond the skin into the depths of a person’s body. What ultrasounds are, what types there are, and what they are used for, and the education and careers available are the major themes found in research on the subject. Knowledge of ultrasound and its background may help one decide what career is best for them. Understanding the wide array of diagnostic tests and their uses are essential to figuring out what a career as a sonographer entails and the type of education that is needed. Because there are plenty of possibilities for specializing with different technologies, there is a wide variety of job opportunities in the medical imaging career. The call for ultrasound’s assistance opens new paths in future high-quality careers.
Many wonder how do ultrasounds truly work. Ultrasounds are actually more complex than what they seem to be. First, the ultrasound machine transmits high-frequency sound pulses into your body using a probe, and then sound waves travel into your body and hit a boundary between tissues (Freudenrich, 2011). An example of this would be between fluid and soft tissue and soft tissue and bone. After that, some of the sound waves get reflected back to the probe, while some travel on further until they reach another boundary and get reflected, the reflected waves are then picked up by the probe and relayed to the machine. The machine calculates the distance from the probe to the tissue or organ using the speed of sound in tissue and the time of the each echo's return. Finally, the machine displays the distances and intensities of the echoes on the screen, forming a two dimensional image like the one shown below (Freudenrich, 2011).
I haven’t always wanted to be a cardiac sonographer. The desire to be in this career just started to spark an interest in me a couple years back. You see, since I was a little girl I had always dreamt of becoming an architect or an interior designer. At first, the design aspect of that occupation interested me greatly. My dream started to fall short when I realized that a job like this would require me to make a move to a bigger city and that is something that I do not wish to pursue. This meant it was time to find another path to go down and reconfigure my future.
When a mother finds out she is pregnant it is a wonderful experience. Most people are excited to see their first “picture” of their baby, the ultrasound. Even more exciting is getting an ultrasound to find out the sex of the baby. But ultrasounds are useful for more than just getting that first image of the fetus or finding out whether it is a boy or a girl. While it is something most parents dread finding out when pregnant, an ultrasound can also detect a birth defect. There are many different birth defects that can be detected by an ultrasound during pregnancy like Spina Bifida, Down syndrome, and abnormalities with the heart and lower urinary tract, and the importance of detecting them with an ultrasound is shown in the benefits of discovering the birth defect early, and the options it gives the parents after discovering the birth defect.
In general, ultrasound waves produced by an instrument called transducer are sent into a patient. Some of the waves are absorbed, but the other portion of these waves are reflected when tissue and organ boundaries are encountered. The echoes produced by the reflected waves are then picked up by the transducer and translated in a visible picture often referred to as ultrasound. In the paragraphs that follow, the physics of how the transducer functions, what the ultrasound waves do, and how the image is formed will be explained.
[IMAGE] * Ultrasound Ultrasound was another application of physics which I saw in QueensElizabethHospital . The use of ultrasound which I saw was the ultrasound scan. This is mainly used for pregnant women to see if the foetus has any abnormalities, or check on progress and growth. The rays in ultrasound have a very high frequency which is above the human audible range. Here you can see an image made using ultrasound to see a foetus's progress, growth and if the foetus has any abnormalities.[IMAGE] Gamma camera.
Images of human anatomy have been around for more than 500 years now. From the sketches created by Leonardo da Vinci, to the modern day Computed Tomography (CT) or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan, images have played a great role in medicine. Evolution in medical imaging brought together people from various disciplines such as Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, a collaboration which has further contributed to healthcare as a whole. Modern day imaging improves medical workflows by facilitating a non-invasive insight into human body, accurate and timely diagnostics, and persistence of an analysis.