Medical Terminology Flashcards
What is a coronal slice?
Dividing the front and back of the brain
What is a horizontal slice?
Dividing the top and the bottom of the brain
What is a sagittal slice?
Dividing the two halves of the brain
For a horizontal slice, where is the right ear?
On the left side of the image
Imagine standing at patients feet (laying down)
How are lab tests helpful?
They are helpful in evaluating the health status of an individual
Do almost all lab tests fall within a normal range?
Yes
95% do
Although there are some normal that fall outside the normal range
Why are some reasons that results may be abnormal?
Race
Diet
Age
Gender
Menstrual cycle
Degree of physical activity
Problems with collection/handling
Use of non-prescription drugs
Use of prescription drugs
Alcohol intake
Illnesses
What are blood tests used for?
Blood sugar levels
Cholesterol levels
Infections
Electrolyte (potassium, chloride, etc.) imbalance
Minerals (calcium, phosphate, etc.)
Hemoglobin levels
Cardiac function
Renal function
Hepatic function
Markers for some diseases such as cancers and arthritis
Genetic tests
Why is genetic testing performed in humans?
Diagnose/rule out a genetic condition
Diagnose/rule out viral infection such as the novel coronavirus
Presymptomatic or predictive testing
Establish risk factors for inherited diseases
Establish paternity
Prenatal diagnosis of genetic conditions
Medico-legal cases
Pharmacogenomics testing to predicts the response to certain medications
Transplantation testing to determine whether an organ or tissue is a match for the transplant between a donor and recipient
Why is presymptomatic or predictive testing done?
To identify the presence of variant genes that cause disease or increase disease risk
Even if someone appears to be healthy
What are urine tests used to detect?
UTIs
Kidney and bladder disease
Drug use and abuse
What are some of the most common radiographic or magnetic imaging tests?
X-rays
CT scans
MRI
What does CT stand for?
Computerized tomography
What does MRI stand for?
Magnetic resonance imaging
Is a biopsy also a common imaging test?
Yes
What is a biopsy?
It is an examination of tissue, such as liver, bone, and tumors
Removed from the body to discover the presence, cause, or extent of a disease
What are x-rays?
A form of electromagnetic radiation, like visible light
X-rays have higher energy and can pass through most objects, including the body
What are medical x-rays used for?
To generate images of tissues and structures inside the body
How are images formed for x-rays?
Because there is an x-ray detector on the other side of the patient
The object is placed between a source of x-rays and a sheet of x-ray sensitive film
Will bone weaken or attenuate the light of the x-ray?
Yes, that is why they show up well
Does bone attenuate the x-ray much more than air or soft tissue?
Yes
Are bone abnormalities seen fairly easily with an x-ray?
Yes
But they are seen better with a CT scan
What is a CT?
A series of x-ray images taken from different angles around the body
What do CT’s show?
It shows cross sectional scans of bones, blood vessels, and soft tissues inside the body
Gives multiple 3D images
Do CT’s provide more detail than x-rays?
Yes
Therefore, it uses more radiation
What are CT’s used for?
To diagnose disease or injury
To plan medical, surgical, or radiation treatment
What does a CT look like?
A large doughnut (thin)
X-ray rotates around patient
Can a CT be done both with and without contrast?
Yes
How does contrast show up on the image?
Contrast material blocks x-rays and appears white on images which can help emphasize blood vessels, intestines, or other structures
How is contrast material administered?
By mouth, IV, or enema
What is the most common way to administer the CT contrast?
IV
Can contrast cause an allergic reaction?
Yes
But not death
What does the CT image depend on?
The density of the tissue
What is the color of air on a CT?
Black
What is the color of fat on a CT?
More black
What is the color of fluid, blood, muscle, and soft tissues on a CT?
Shades of grey
What is the color of bone on a CT?
White
What are some advantages of a CT?
Higher resolution than X-ray
Bone is seen better
Bone and air are well differentiated
It is cheaper and faster than MRI
Better tolerated
What are some disadvantages of a CT?
Radiation (more than x-ray)
Metal can present as artifact
Poorer soft tissue contrast (nerves)
More adverse reactions to the IV CT contrast material (iodine based)
CT images are acquired only in the axial/horizontal plane
What are some of the issues associated with CT contrast through IV?
Allergic reactions and renal problems
What is an MRI?
Machine using extremely powerful magnets combined with electromagnetic fields and coiled which produce radio waves to produce detailed images of organs and tissues in the body
What is an MRI based on?
magnetization properties of atomic nuclei
Is there a noise generated from the MRI?
Yes
Noise is created when magnetic fields are cycled on and off
When magnets are exerting force to each other
When the images are generated
What are the two different contrast image types?
T1 weighted
T2 weighted
What is a T1 weighted MRI?
Enhances a signal of the fatty tissue and suppresses the signal of the water
What is a T2 weighted MRI?
Enhances the signal of water
How are T1 and T2 differentiated from each other?
By looking at the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
It is dark on the T1 and bright on the T2
What is an fMRI?
An MRI while doing activities during scan
How is an fMRI done?
They dye the blood, and then observe where it flows to during certain activities
What type of imaging is done during fMRI?
T2
What does a T1 MRI look like?
Fat is bright and fluid is dark
Bone marrow bright
What does a T2 MRI look like?
Fluid is bright
What is T2 ideal for?
Pick up tissue edema and fMRI
What does bone and air look like on both T1 and T2?
Dark
What is the unit of measurement for strength of magnetic field for MRI?
Tesla
How strong are the magnets used today in MRIs?
Ranging from 0.5 to 3.0 tesla
What is the most common strength for an MRI?
1.5 tesla
What is the highest strength used in humans?
10 tesla
Used at the UMN in 2018
Are higher tesla levels used for research?
Yes, not for clinical use though
Is there an issue with giving MRIs to individuals with CIs?
Yes because the device has two magnets (one internal and one external)
These can interfere with the magnet of the MRI
How can MRIs be administered to people with CIs?
Cochlear nucleus implant bandage and splint kit can be used for 1.5T MRI machines
Allows patient to keep magnets of CI in place
Can a person with a CI get an MRI in a machine that is up to 3T?
Yes, but with the external magnet removed
Can people with BAHAs have MRIs?
Yes
Newer devices are approved for up to 3T MRI machines
The sound processor must be removed prior to the procedure
Can people with ABIs have MRIs?
It is designed to be MRI compatible
It has a removable magnet and specific characteristics designed to withstand resonance imaging up to 1.5T
What happens if the ABI magnet is still in place during an MRI?
It can cause tissue damage
What is the main population that gets ABIs?
People with NF2
Susceptible to tumors
What are MRIs most used for?
Neurology and neurosurgery
Head and neck issues
What does an MRI do a great job of looking at?
Soft tissue contrast
Is the MRI contrast better than the CT one?
Yes
It does not used iodine, so it causes less allergic reactions and renal issues
How many planes can be seen with an MRI?
All three
Axial, sagittal, and coronal
Is the posterior fossa more easily visualized with an MRI or a CT?
MRI
Is radiation used in an MRI?
No
Is an MRI invasive?
No
Is an MRI more sensitive to tumor detection than a CT?
Yes
Especially small ones
Can you detect ischemic strokes with an MRI?
Yes
What is an ischemic stroke?
Blood supply blocked
How is an ischemic stroke treated?
Blood thinners
Is an MRI sensitive to detection of old blood (hemorrhagic stroke)?
Yes
Can blood thinners treat a hemorrhagic stroke?
No, it’ll actually make it worse
What are some general disadvantages to an MRI?
Expensive
Cannot distinguish between air and compact bone
Longer exam time
Metal artifacts are contraindications
Claustrophobia
What imaging is best for detecting an acoustic neuroma?
MRI
What imaging is best for detecting a nerve vascularization?
MRI
What imaging is best for detecting congenital bony anomalies, dehiscence, bone lesions, and otosclerosis?
CT
What imaging is best for detecting cholesteatoma and middle ear tumors?
CT and MRI
What imaging is best for pre-operation evaluation for CI?
Usually CT
MRI also is fine
What imaging is best for detecting a trauma (skull fractures)?
CT
What imaging is best for other diseases affecting auditory management (mastoiditis, malignant otitis, strokes, cholesterol granuloma, arterial and venous anomalies, and pulsatile tinnitus)?
Both can be used
What is important to do when referring anyone to imaging?
Make a case for them on why they should receive it
