Healthcare has always fascinated me ever since I have volunteered at my local hospital in Rapid City. When I was volunteering in the summer of 2014 and recently on the 13th of January this year (2016), I had the opportunity to see the work environment of the medical imaging / radiology department. It was neat being with the doctors, nurses, and technologists watching them give x-rays, do an ultrasound, CT and MRI scans, nuclear medicine, and even a few procedures in Specials. In the radiology department, the workflow varied on different days. It varied depending on the number of patients they received. The staff worked together and alternated shifts, so that nobody was working longer and more than another person. Each day is always different
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Some of the general radiologic procedures I was able to observe were basic x-ray exams given to a variety of different individuals including babies, kids, teens, and adults. I was able to see and assist in many fluoroscopy exams, helping the technologist bring the patient into the exam room, mixing up the barium drink, and watching them drink it on a fluoroscopy machine. Once and awhile, I would see some special procedures like biopsies and an arthrogram, which was really neat. Some of the general radiologic procedures I was able to see in Fluoroscopy were some upper GI and small bowel series, swallowing exams, esophagram, barium enema, lumbar puncture, myelogram procedure, and a hysterosalpingogram. Other exams I observed were many chest x-rays from the ER, shoulder and humerus x-rays, baby x-ray, arm and hand x-ray, and a few abdominal …show more content…
I really enjoyed seeing a myelogram and hysterosalpingogram procedure. With the myelogram procedure, a doctor would inject some contrast material with a 6-7 inch needle through a patient’s back and into the spine. After this procedure, the patient is then sent to CT or MRI to confirm their results for a tumor, infection, or any problems they are having with the spinal cord. The other procedure was a hysterosalpingogram. In this procedure, a female patient would lay down in a “frog leg” position, and the doctor would insert a speculum into the patient’s vagina. Once the speculum is placed in the patient’s vagina, the doctor then inserts a thin catheter into the urinary cavity and contrast is injected slowly into abdominal cavity, filling the tubes. During this procedure, the doctor uses a live image x-ray through Fluoroscopy to make sure nothing goes wrong. This procedure is performed on women who have a hard time getting
Some of the general radiologic procedures I was able to observe were basic x-ray exams given to a variety of different individuals including babies, kids, teens, and adults. I was able to see and assist in many fluoroscopy exams, helping the technologist bring the patient into the exam room, mixing up the barium drink, and watching them drink it on a fluoroscopy machine. Once and awhile, I would see some special procedures like biopsies and an arthrogram, which was really neat. Some of the general radiologic procedures I was able to see in Fluoroscopy were some upper GI and small bowel series, swallowing exams, esophagram, barium enema, lumbar puncture, myelogram procedure, and a hysterosalpingogram. Other exams I observed were many chest x-rays from the ER, shoulder and humerus x-rays, baby x-ray, arm and hand x-ray, and a few abdominal …show more content…
I really enjoyed seeing a myelogram and hysterosalpingogram procedure. With the myelogram procedure, a doctor would inject some contrast material with a 6-7 inch needle through a patient’s back and into the spine. After this procedure, the patient is then sent to CT or MRI to confirm their results for a tumor, infection, or any problems they are having with the spinal cord. The other procedure was a hysterosalpingogram. In this procedure, a female patient would lay down in a “frog leg” position, and the doctor would insert a speculum into the patient’s vagina. Once the speculum is placed in the patient’s vagina, the doctor then inserts a thin catheter into the urinary cavity and contrast is injected slowly into abdominal cavity, filling the tubes. During this procedure, the doctor uses a live image x-ray through Fluoroscopy to make sure nothing goes wrong. This procedure is performed on women who have a hard time getting