Allied Health: Imaging Services

Imaging Services

Allied Health

Open Ended

When is medical imaging necessary??

Intro to Imaging Tests

• An imaging test is a way to let doctors see what’s going on inside the body.

• These tests send forms of energy (x-rays, sound waves, radioactive particles, or magnetic fields) through the body.

• The changes in energy patterns made by body tissues create an image or picture.

• These pictures can show normal body structures and functions as well as abnormal ones caused by diseases like cancer. 

Radiology

• A doctor, a certified technologist, or other health professional may perfom an imaging test.

• A radiologist is a specialist in imaging techniques. They are the person who usually reads (interprets) the image made during the test.

• The radiologist writes a report on the findings and sends the report to the doctor.

• A copy of the report will become part of the patient records.

Open Ended

What does a radiologist do?

Indications for Imaging

• For baseline studies

• For cancer screenings 

• To help identify the stage of the cancer

• To plan treatment options

• To identify muscle, bone & joint injuires

• To find out if a cancer has returned

• To assist with biopsies

X-Ray

• Radiographs, most often called x-rays, produce shadow-like images of bones and certain organs and tissues.

• X-rays are very good at identifying injuries to bone.

• They may also show some organs and soft tissues.

• X-rays may be used to get information quickly and cost less than other scans.

MRI Scan

• MRI scans create cross-section pictures of the inside of the body.

• MRI scans use strong magnets instead of radiation to make the images.

• MRI scans also create pictures of soft tissue parts of the body that are sometimes hard to see using other imaging tests.

• MRI scans are useful at identifying and pinpointing certain cancers.

Multiple Choice

Which type of image produces shadow-like images of bones and certain organs and tissues?

• X-ray

• MRI

• CT

CT Scan

• CT scans show a slice, or cross-section, of the body.

• The image shows the bones, organs, and soft tissues more clearly than standard x-rays.

• CT scans are a noninvasive way to show a tumor’s shape, size, and location, and even the blood vessels that feed the tumor.

• Because the picture is made by a computer, it can be enlarged to make it easier to see and interpret.

• The computer then creates a black and white picture that shows a slice of a certain area of the body – much like looking at a single slice from a loaf of bread.

• The picture can be made clearer by the use of special contrast materials which can be swallowed as a liquid, put into a vein, or put into the intestines.

PET Scan

• (PET) scan is an imaging test that uses a radioactive substance called a tracer to look for disease in the body.

• The image reveals how parts of the patient’s body function by the way they break down the radiotracer.

• A PET image will display different levels of positrons according to brightness and color.

• The tracer is given through a vein (IV), most often on the inside of the elbow and travel to areas inside the body that use the natural chemical.

Multiple Choice

This type of image shows a slice or cross section of the body.

• CT

• MRI

• PET

• X ray

Ultrasound

• An ultrasound machine creates images called sonograms by giving off high-frequency sound waves that go through the body.

• As the sound waves bounce off the organs and tissues, they create echoes.

• The machine makes these echoes into real-time pictures that can be seen on a computer display screen.

• Ultrasound is very good at getting pictures of some soft tissue diseases that do not show up well on x-rays.

Considerations for Imaging

• Location of injury/disease

• Type of injury/disease

• Whether or not a biopsy (tissue sample) is needed

• The balance between any risks or side effects and the expected benefits

• Cost 

Multiple Choice

Identify the type of scan pictured here.

• MRI

• CT

• X- ray

• PET

Multiple Choice

Identify the type of image pictured here.

• Ultrasound

• X ray

• MRI

• CT

Multiple Choice

Identify the type of scan pictured here.

• MRI

• CT

• PET

• X Ray

Multiple Choice

Joey injured his arm while skatebording. He fell on his arm and felt a pop. It is swollen and painful to touch. He is headed to the emergency room for medical imaging. Which type of image would be best suited for identifying Joey's injury?

• MRI

• PET Scan

• X ray