Diagnostic Imaging Fundamentals

UNIT 2: PART 1: DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING 1.1 INTRODUCTION. DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING: Diagnostic imaging lets doctors look inside your body for clues about a medical condition. A variety of machines and techniques can create pictures of the structures and activities inside your body. The type of imaging your doctor uses depends on your symptoms and the part of your body being examined. They include: - X-rays - CT scans - Nuclear medicine scans - MRI scans - Ultrasound 1.2 READING. • Read this article and pay attention to the specific vocabulary. THE RADIOLOGY DEPARTMENT A Radiology or X-ray Department is an essential unit in any modern hospital. Radiology Departments are staffed by radiologists, medically trained consultants who specialize in performing and reporting a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic investigations, radiographers, who are responsible for undertaking diagnostic images across a wide range of modalities, and nursing staff, who support the clinical team and provide patient care for those patients undergoing interventional procedures. A good Radiology Department consists of many different types of imaging procedures or modalities to both diagnose and treat disease visualized within the human body. Radiologists use an array of imaging technologies to look inside patients bodies for clues about a medical condition. These technologies include X-ray radiography, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The technology used will depend on the patient’s symptoms and part of the body being examined. Many imaging tests are painless and easy. Some tests are uncomfortable as they require patients to stay still for a long time inside a machine. For some imaging tests, a tiny camera attached to a long, thin tube is inserted in your body. This tool is called a scope. The doctor moves it through a body passageway or opening to see inside a particular organ, such as your heart, lungs or colon. These procedures often require anesthesia. Despite being so useful, it is one of the ironies of radiological practice that X-rays can both cause cancer and be used to treat it. Because of this, many people wonder how dangerous X - ray is or may be in this respect it is widely accepted that a well-run Radiology Department is a very risk-free environment in which to work. It is true that staff in the X-ray department work with X-rays all the time and that they would be exposed to quite a high dose of radiation if they stayed beside every patient, over the course of time. This is why radiologists or technicians go in another room and supervise everything behind a screen when the X-ray beam is switched on and the X-ray is being taken. In this way, they receive no exposure. In addition, with the use of very small doses of radiation to produce high quality X -ray images, the risk of cancer after properly supervised X-ray examinations is extremely small, of no consequence to any individual. NOTE: anesthesia (US); anaesthesia (UK). 1.2.1 Answer the following questions using information from the text. 1. Who are the main staff members in a Radiology Department? A. Radiologists, radiographers, and lab technicians B. Radiologists, radiographers, and nurses C. Surgeons, radiographers, and nurses D. Doctors, nurses, and pharmacists 2. Which of the following imaging technologies is NOT mentioned in the text? A. X-ray radiography B. Computed Tomography (CT) C. Electrocardiography (ECG) D. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) 3. What is the role of radiographers in a Radiology Department? A. Administering anesthesia to patients undergoing imaging procedures B. Supervising the entire radiology department C. Performing diagnostic images across a range of modalities D. Prescribing medication to patients 4. Why do radiologists and technicians supervise from behind a screen during an Xray? A. To reduce the radiation exposure to themselves B. To increase the patient's exposure to radiation C. To improve the quality of the X-ray image D. To ensure that the machine is functioning properly 5. What is a scope used for in some imaging tests? A. A tool to magnify small objects during surgery B. A tiny camera inserted into the body to view organs C. A device to scan the brain for abnormalities D. A tube used to inject contrast dye into the bloodstream 6. What risk is associated with X-rays, as mentioned in the text? A. They can cause long-term memory loss B. They can cause skin burns C. They can both cause and treat cancer D. They can damage muscles and tissues 7. What makes the risk of cancer from X-rays minimal in a well-run Radiology Department? A. The use of anesthesia during X-rays B. Radiologists staying beside the patient at all times C. The use of very small doses of radiation D. The absence of radiation in modern X-ray machines