Ultrasound Technician News

Different Types of Ultrasounds

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ultrasoundAs a way to see inside a person without a surgical procedure, ultrasounds allow ultrasound techs to take a closer look into a patient’s body to determine what is taking place in it. This type of technology utilizes sound waves to create a picture of a certain area of the body. The sound waves are picked up by a handheld device called a transducer and converted into a visual image that can be displayed on a screen for further examination. There are many different types of ultrasounds, such as pelvic ultrasounds, abdominal ultrasounds, and pregnancy ultrasounds.

Pelvic ultrasounds are used to obtain images of organs and structures that are located in the lower abdomen or pelvis. These types of ultrasounds are conducted on both men and women to identify disorders like kidney stones, bladder tumors, and problems with the urinary bladder. Pelvic ultrasounds are most often performed on women to examine the bladder, uterus, cervix, ovaries, and fallopian tubes. These examinations can help to diagnose problems women may experience, such as abnormal bleeding, pelvic pain, and other menstrual problems. By examining female reproductive organs, this type of ultrasound can find and identify ovarian growths, cysts, fibroid tumors, fallopian tube problems, and ovarian or uterine cancers. Pelvic ultrasounds are used in men to examine the bladder, prostate, and seminal vesicles.

Abdominal ultrasounds are used to obtain images of organs and structures that are located in the upper abdomen, such as the kidneys, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, and abdominal aorta. These types of ultrasounds are used to find and diagnose medical conditions involving, abnormal liver function, enlarged abdominal organ, stones in the gallbladder or kidneys, abdominal pain or distention, or an aneurysm in the aorta. The use of a doppler in this type of ultrasound image can help a physician evaluate any narrowing of blood vessels, blockages of blood flow, or tumors and congenital malformations.

Pregnancy ultrasounds are used on women who are pregnant in order to measure the development and growth of a fetus. Throughout a women’s pregnancy, ultrasounds may be conducted in order to determine the baby’s age, keep track of the baby’s growth, find the position the baby is in, and to check for problems that may occur. Commonly, these types of ultrasounds are used to determine the sex of the baby. Although this may not always be possible, if the baby’s genitals are not visible due to the current position it is in.

Specialties Of An Ultrasound Technician

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how-to-become-ultrasound-technicianUltrasound technology can aid in the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions that appear in different areas throughout the body. As each area of the body is unique, the use of this technology in examining it can vary slightly in the procedures that are used and the training that is required. Ultrasound technicians can become specialized in the different areas of obstetric and gynecologic sonography, neurosonography, breast sonography, and abdominal sonography.

The most popular area of sonography is in obstetrics and gynecology, which is when it is used in taking images of the female reproductive system and using ultrasound imaging during pregnancies. Ultrasound technicians specializing in this field conduct ultrasounds known as fetal imaging. The purpose of this type of ultrasound is to observe and monitor the baby while it is in its mother’s womb so that doctors can see if there are any signs of birth defects. Along with tracking the baby’s developmental growth, this imagining technique is also used to determine its gender.

In neurosonography, ultrasound technicians scan areas of the nervous system, including the brain, to examine and diagnose problems associated with it. Technicians can find out if a patient has experienced medical conditions like a stroke or brain aneurysm by scanning blood vessels in the brain or nervous system. Neurosonographers use ultrasounds to examine areas of the entire central nervous system, including the brain, and diagnoses any problems that may be associated with it. Scans can be performed to examine blood vessels in the brain and nervous system to confirm if a patient has had a stroke or brain aneurysm, as well as to examine the brain’s inner structure and look for abnormal tumors or masses.

Ultrasound technicians who specialize in the area of breast sonography use the technology to study diseases that appear in breast tissue. Technicians use imaging to determine whether or not breast abnormalities are solid or fluid which can indicated whether a tumor is a cancerous or not. They also use it to monitor tumors and blood supply conditions as well as assist in the accurate biopsy of breast tissue in the event that an ultrasound cannot determine a breast abnormality.

Abdominal sonography is a specialized area where technicians use ultrasounds to examine areas of a patient’s abdominal cavity. Images are used to help diagnose and treat conditions that involve the kidneys, bile ducts, gallbladder, liver, pancreas, spleen, and the male reproductive system. These types of ultrasounds can be beneficial with patients who are experiencing inflamed or enlarged abdominal organs, an aneurysm in the abdominal aorta, and gall or bladder stones.

Ultrasound Technologist or Genetic Authority?

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ultrasound technologistsOur culture and technology have allowed us to “Play God” in so many words – we can now decide what sex our baby will be, how old we are when we have babies, the exact date of their birth, and so on.  After a certain point, we have to begin to ask ourselves when we gave ultrasound technologists this type of authority, and why them?

Ultrasounds are the backbone of all fertility questions and help future parents determine whether they will have a child, when they will have a child, and can help them decide if they want to keep the baby if it has any genetic mutations.  This fact alone has sparked numerous debates around the world because of the life-and-death game we begin to play with ultrasound techs at this point.  When should we be able to decide if a baby is born of not?  What disease is horrible enough for us to make this decision?  For many parents, the answer is no disease, but many others balk at the thought of raising a child with a disability or mutation that will make them different than others and will make raising the child much more difficult.  As a result, ultrasound technologists are the last stop for many of these parents who want to know what abnormalities their children may be born with.  In this modern day of medicine when women are becoming pregnant much later in life, ultrasound techs seem to be a saving grace for many of them who do not wish to have a handicapped child; however, this issue alone presents difficult moral questions.

Ask any parent of a handicapped child and they will answer that they would not have things any different, even if it meant an easier life for their child; they love them just as they are.  However, if you were to ask them several months before the birth of the child, they may wish to alter the outcome in order to make sure that their child will not have to suffer throughout their life.  In this sense, peaking at an ultrasound beforehand seems to make sense, but it is such a fine line between necessary and cosmetic that many doctors and parents refuse to make such a decision.  Additionally, when performing this “screening” process, exactly what diseases are we screening for?  It is difficult for many doctors to make the decision to screen for any diseases in general, much less ones which would be bearable to live with.  The list of pre-screened diseases now include ones as far-reaching into adulthood as Alzheimer’s and Prostate Cancer.

At a certain point we need to ask ourselves what the original function of an ultrasound was and are we still using it in the intended manner.  Most parents choose to have their children regardless, and if you want to have your baby pre-screened for sex or genetic makeup, that is still fine, although we should be wary about giving ultrasound technologists the clear authority to make such a life-altering decision. 

Are Ultrasounds Dangerous For Humans?

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UltrasoundsUltrasound techs have found themselves in the news in recent years, not only for the vast accomplishments in the field but also for the speculation and rumors that have come alongside the advances in technology.  We live in an era where we think everything can give us cancer, ebola, or a common cold, and it is no wonder that we now believe ultrasounds to be hazardous to our health.  The first sensational news-story regarding ultrasounds emerged a few years ago when Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes purchased their own in-house ultrasound machine, complete with an ultrasound tech.  The medical community and several doctors voiced outrage at this purchase, spouting warnings that sonograms and ultrasounds are dangerous to the fetus and should only be used when medically necessary.  But if all this is true, why is it common knowledge that women should receive ultrasounds as soon as they find out their pregnant, and why is it socially acceptable to subject your baby to these “harmful” UV rays to simply find out if they are male or female?

Hidden deep within the confines of medical journals is the truth about ultrasounds – They can be dangerous if they are given to a patient excessively.  Ultrasound techs manipulate their machines to send vibrations into the body and sometimes these vibrations are absorbed by the body instead of bouncing back.  The “bouncing back” vibrations create a moving image of the fetus, although the trapped vibrations can create a pocket of trapped gas, a bubble which can seriously damage internal organs.  So why do we take this risk with our bodies and our new babies?  While doctors insisted that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were committing irreversible damage to their baby, there has been relatively few studies done on the dangers of ultrasounds, and the few studies that have been completed do little to suggest that there is any immediate harm caused by ultrasound techs.

It’s no surprise that ultrasounds affect human tissue – we’ve known for a while that it heats up our inner tissues which is why it’s applied in physical therapy.  However, there have been contradictory studies indicating any negative side effects of ultrasounds over the years; regardless of the positive side effects, doctors do attempt to limit the number of ultrasounds pregnant women receive, which was the main rationale of the backlash against Tom Cruise.  At the time, it was unclear what type of ultrasound machine Cruise was using, whether he equipped the machine with an ultrasound tech, and to what degree the machine was being used on Katie Holmes.

While there was speculation that Cruise was breaking FDA law by keeping an ultrasound machine in his house and therefore operating it under a nonmedical purpose, it appears that his baby was born without any (obvious) birth defects and Cruise is not in any danger of being arrested for his use of the machine.  Ultrasound machines continue to be a source of controversy since we still do not know all the risks involved in their use, but thus far it appears that most babies are born without any long-lasting side effects from the machine and early detection of any abnormalities does more good than bad in the long run.

Ultrasound Technician Career In USA

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ultrasound techUnarguably, the medical field is growing in leaps and bounds and a career as an Ultrasound Technician is an extremely rewarding path for anyone in the medical profession. A career in health care has become quite significant in the US due to the high priority this sector is accorded by the government. Admit it; almost everyone needs health care at one point or another, and the increasing population means the number of people likely to require medical care is growing by the day. A standard hospital or health clinic requires machines to do and conduct particular operations. The machines that are common in hospitals are the Sonographic Scanners, X-rays, and the ones for checking specimens from patients. It is not surprising that one of the major areas of hospital work involves the professionals who have attained Ultrasound Technician qualifications.

What does the Ultrasound Technician Job Entail?

Basically, this professional is a person that deals with the machines used for scanning, diagnosis and also for testing specimens. For example, the Ultrasound Tech can specialize as a person who operates the Sonographic Scanner. Such an expert is known as Sonography Ultrasound Technician, and has an extremely important role in ensuring that proper diagnostic operation is carried out on the state of a patient’s internal organs. Thus, the visual images that arise out of an ultrasound examination are presented to a medical doctor with the correct diagnostic report that they use to prescribe treatment for the patient. It is evident here that before doctors can handle the condition of a patient, they need to see the ultrasound report as presented to them by experts such as the MRI Technician.

Many people have not yet recognized the fact that for a doctor or physician to know where the problem lies when a patient visits a health clinic, the first thing is to carry out a few tests to show the exact cause of an ailment in the patient. They often use specialized machines to find out details of the internal organs of the body like the condition of the heart or intestines. He must be assisted by a qualified ultrasound technologist. Do you still wonder why most people dream of entering this profession? The demand for these professionals is quite elastic, especially here in the USA, and there is no limit to how high they can climb the ladder of success.

In most cases, the doctors largely rely on the services of a radiology technician who is specifically trained to handle particular hospital machines and procedures such as radiography. They assist the doctors with processes of taking and reading X-rays. They set the machines in the best position for it to get the perfect diagnostic image that shows the state of the patient’s internal organs in order to assist the physician with his work. The technician also explains the results of the operation as carried out to the patient, and also assist the patient to sit or stand in the right position during the procedure. Of course the ultrasound technician salary in the USA is enviable, and is in the region of $45,000 to $85,000 per annum. This is a handsome income judging from the essential roles these experts play in hospitals and the hard work they put to attain the right Ultrasound Technician Training and qualifications.