Diagnostic Imaging Flashcards
Diagnostic medical imaging
Variety of non-invasive methods for identifying disease or injury
Tissues of body vary in density and imaging mediums created contrasting shadows, yielding a composite image
Radiology
Medical specialty that uses diagnostic medical imaging to produce and interpret images of the human body for the diagnosis of disease or injury
Radiologist
A physician who specializes in the practice of diagnostic radiology; reads and interprets the radiology and nuclear medicine scans
Interventional radiologist
A radiologist who performs invasive procedures under CT or US guidance or with fluoroscopic imaging
Radiologic technologist
Allied health care professional who works with physicians in the field of radiology and nuclear medicine
X-rays (radiography)
Invisible waves of energy that are produced by an energy source, usually cathode ray tube
Penetrate to varying degrees
Travel in predetermines straight line
Cause exposure to a photographic plate
Digital x-ray
Uses digital x-ray sensors instead of traditional photographic plates
Most common
Images can be enhanced
Quickly processed
Easily transferred
Less radiation used
Contrast studies
The use of a radiopaque material (contrast media) injected into the body to differentiate between two adjacent tissues that would be indistinguishable from each other
Side effects of contrast media
Ask patient of allergic
Flushing
Nausea
Warmth
Tingling
Hives
Airway spasm
Vasodilation
Tachycardia
Computed tomography
Made by shooting multiple x-rays at various angles through a section of the body. The absorption of the x-rays is recorded and used to create multiple cross sectional images of the body
Computed tomography
Created detailed images of internal organs, bones, soft tissue, and blood vessels
Can be reformatted into different planes, can generate three dimensional images
Best method for detecting many different cancers allows doctor to confirm presence and determine size and location
In emergency cases reveals internal injuries and bleeding quickly enough to save lives
Ultrasound
High-frequency inaudible sound waves, instead of x-rays, that bounce off of body tissues and are interpreted by the machine to give information about the anatomy of an internal organ
No radiation
No tissue damage at energy levels used
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
MRI scan uses magnetic fields and radio waves instead of X-rays. Acting on the hydrogen protons in the water in the body’s tissues, multiple cross sectional images of the body are produced
Excellent soft tissue imaging
Safe/No radiation
Contraindicated for patients with pacemakers, aneurysm clips, or metal implants
Nuclear medicine
Medical specialty that uses radioactive substances in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.
The radioactive substances emit high speed particles and energy-containing rays (radioactivity) and are used to evaluate the path and uptake of a chemical substance in the body
(Half life of nucleotide us length of scan in order to minimize exposure to radiation)
In vitro testing
Outside the body, in the test tube.
Tests are done on tissue samples outside of the body in a lab
In vivo testing
In the body
Tests are done in the body by giving the patient small amounts of a radioactive substance and then imaging the function/uptake of the specific substance in the tissue
