Monday 26 January 2015

Ultrasound - Not Just Babies!

  An ultrasound scan for the thyroid gland.

Stardate: 92672.31

Last week saw me in the hospital's various ultrasound departments: general, obstetric, paediatric and vascular. Despite my initial reservations and disinterest in ultrasound, I actually really enjoyed my week there. At first, I tried to read up on basic anatomical appearances, and how ultrasound images were produced, including the physics and which transducers (probes) were used for which examinations etc. But I'm going to leave that for another post... 

From my basic understanding, I started to get the hang of it all, and could get my head around what position the transducer was in when I observed examinations. I even got to have a go in some departments, where I managed to scan a kidney, my own thyroid gland, and finally an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).

In the general department, the examinations are mainly musculoskeletal and some gynaecological procedures. Obstetric is the most famous ultrasound department, as it's where a multitude of women go for their pregnancy dating, 12-week and 20-week scans. Usually the 20-week scan is an anatomy check, as well as to check the sex of the baby (if the parents want to know what they're having). Paediatric is of course the children's department of ultrasound. And finally, Vascular is where all the circulatory system investigations occur.

Anatomy on ultrasound scans takes a little bit longer to get your head around than general x-ray anatomy, but once you've witnessed a few scans, you start to recognise certain structures and their appearances. If I do take anything away with me from my week, it is that fluid always look black and veins, in comparison to arteries, are compressible. Which is how sonographers test for DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis).

As ultrasound has such a wide range of examinations and procedures, I couldn't really pinpoint one I wanted to talk about in detail that would fit into this post nicely, so I'll possibly put one up soon after some serious consideration! There were plenty I witnessed where I wouldn't mind looking further into them.

Out of all the departments I visited, the most interesting I found to be was Vascular, but each department has its own intrigue. Being placed in ultrasound has certainly changed my attitude towards the modality, and I actually wouldn't mind going there again. Some students find it boring, but if you ask plenty of questions and try to look into image production and anatomy before you go, there's less chance you'll be confused, and will be able to identify what you're actually looking at!

This week I'm in A&E, but I'm working alongside the first-years, so now I have to look like I actually know what I'm doing! I've also started my radiography assistant job, so you may start seeing posts about doing part-time work alongside the course cropping up!

LLAP guys!

References
  1. Diagnostic Ultrasound Scan, n.d. photograph, viewed 25 January 2015 <http://www.ultrasoundnow.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/shutterstock_82853839.jpg>.

Friday 16 January 2015

The January Exams Episode

January exams are over it seems...

Stardate: 92647

I know, I know, it's been forever since I made a post... well, nearly two months anyway, if I'm not mistaken. But I do have an entirely reasonable excuse why. During this last week, I have been studying like a demon for my three January exams that snuck up on me over the Christmas period. Apparently, being a second year is hard. No, I mean it. Really hard.

We had three exams, one for Research Stats (this module, ladies and gentlemen, I kid you not, is pure evil. Sauron himself probably would have agreed), Chest Commenting and Anatomy. No matter how much I tried to get my head around Research Stats, it would not sink in, and I have the horrible, foreboding feeling that I've failed the exam. Commenting by far was the exam I was most confident for, and Anatomy I tried to write loads and draw as many diagrams as I possibly could! All that, and I also had a Physics essay to hand in at the start of the assessment week. So, with all that, I'm knackered.

But now that it's all over, I get a nice weekend to myself, (even after doing a quick shift in my new job as an radiography assistant - woo!) where I don't have to think about anything. That is until Monday rolls around, and the early mornings begin again... you guessed it, placement is here again!

This time around is a 5-week block. I'm in ultrasound, A&E, CT, fluoroscopy and finally orthopaedics. So yes, I'm going to be nice and busy. I'm looking forward mainly to CT, as it'll be a new experience for me. But I'm having to start thinking about the dreaded assessments, which will be:
  • GI Tract with contrast
  • Circulatory/Renal/fluoroscopy examination with contrast
  • MSK non-ambulant
  • Extra-departmental chest x-ray (e.g. a portable)
  • CT Head without contrast 
We'll see how it all turns out. But at least ultrasound will be slightly more relaxed than some other departments anyway. Hopefully they're nice to me on my birthday this Wednesday...

I'd better start looking at how ultrasound actually works...

LLAP!