Diagnostic Tests Flashcards
What is the nurses role in diagnostic testing?
The nurses responsibility is caring for patients undergoing diagnostic tests and may include the following:
Witnessing consent
Scheduling
Pre-procedure preparation
Assist with procedure
Post procedure care
Documenting care
Educate about the procedure
Inform about special considerations like fasting
What are endoscopic exams?
Studies that allow for direct, visual examinations of various body cavities and organs, by means of a hollow, lighted tube, called an endoscope
Ex: bronchoscopy, colonoscopy, laparoscopy
How can you tell if someone has pneumonia through an x-ray
The black air in the lungs contrast clearly with the white infected tissues, which block the x-rays
How can you tell someone has a fracture through an x-ray?
The almost white bone contrast clearly with the gray muscles around it
What is an angiography
X-rays are used to produce detail images of blood vessels. A thin, flexible tube (catheter) is inserted, usually into an artery, and is threaded through blood vessels to the area being an evaluated.
When the catheters placed, a radiopaque dye is injected. The dye flows through the blood vessels and outlines them.
What is a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE)
A TEE is a sonogram of the heart produced by placing the transducer, attached to an endoscope and guiding it down the esophagus to image the beating heart (the back of it). The Tee provides an obstructive view of the heart valves and chambers in real time.
What is an aspiration test?
Studies in which a needle or similar instrument is inserted into a body organ or cavity. Fluid or tissue is aspirated, prepared, labeled, and sent to the lab.
Examples: liver biopsy, lumbar puncture, paracentesis, thoracentesis
What should we monitor during an aspiration test?
Blood pressure
