I'm a sonographer/radiographer- ask me anything.

[Menarefrommarsitwouldseem]

I believe it's not a widely discussed healthcare profession.

I qualified as a Radiographer 10 years ago and more recently trained as a sonographer so I can ultrasound as well as X-ray and CT.
I currently work for the NHS in a major trauma centre.

[covetingthepreciousthings]

What's the most bizarre foreign body that's been found on an X-ray that you've done?

[INeedNewShoes]

What is the study/career path to become a radiographer? Did you study medicine first?

[Menarefrommarsitwouldseem]

covetingthepreciousthings

Foreign bodies... ohhh so many but ones which stick in my mind was a huge aerosal can. HUGE.
Another time was several bunch of keys and several spoons all in one x-ray. Not a repeat offender.

[Menarefrommarsitwouldseem]

INeedNewShoes

I studied biology, physics and art for A-levels.
Was accepted to Uni to do a 3 year degree.
It is much the same now, with many universities accepting an access to health sciences diploma if you don't have any qualifications in science.

My recent post for ultrasound required me to go back to uni for a year.

I decided to he a radiographer as I broke my leg when I was 20 and was fascinated by the equipment. It's much better now too 😁

[Menarefrommarsitwouldseem]

*to be

[covetingthepreciousthings]

Foreign bodies... ohhh so many but ones which stick in my mind was a huge aerosal can. HUGE.
Another time was several bunch of keys and several spoons all in one x-ray. Not a repeat offender.

HUGE like a squirty cream tall aerosol or bigger!?

Another additional question relating to this.. does anyone with bizarre foreign bodies ever ask to keep their X ray as a memento, and is it allowed?

[surferjet]

Hi op,
Can you tell if a lump/cyst is cancer ( or highly likely to be ) just from an ultrasound?

It’s just my sister had a call back from her routine brest screening, she was naturally petrified, but they scanned her and was able to tell her there & then that it wasn’t cancer & just a cyst.
I’m not sure of the exact procedure, but that’s what she said. No biopsy or anything.

[Georgeofthejungle]

I’d during my 12 week scan I saw a clear view of bum but nothing but darkness in between the legs could baby be a girl or just still too soon x

[Menarefrommarsitwouldseem]

Yes huge like squirty cream, but more girthy

We do have people ask for their X-Rays, but as they're now all digital it's slightly less requested. If they do want them, they have to contact access to health records and pay a fee.
It's not foreign people who ask, I don't think they like to be reminded
But more routine stuff.

[Menarefrommarsitwouldseem]

What a typo

*** foreign body!!

[Menarefrommarsitwouldseem]

surferjet

Yes, the folk at breast screening are experts in their field. Cancers for example? As a rule of thumb. Have irregular borders compared to something benign.
Malignancies quite often have more than one texture.
Blood flow is assessed.
There's lots of signs which are indicative of something being benign.
Cysts have a very typical appearance on ultrasound and it one slight concern from the sonographer, further tests would have been ordered.
I'm glad she had good news.

[Menarefrommarsitwouldseem]

12 weeks is too soon.
To sex a baby a girl for example sonographers look for the "burger sign" lol
It looks like a burger.

However, I don't do obstetrics and I find it tough to spot. Pregnant friends always come to me and show me and I'm like.... ermmm.

[uhohspaghetti]

This is interesting as my DD had x rays today, she's only very little so I worry a lot about the radiation exposure but it seems it was clinically necessary. She will need an MRI when she is older; will these x rays still be clinically useful once MRI was done? I worry the exposure was unnecessary but realise MRI has its own risks eg anaesthesia as she would need it at her age

Does the x ray only cause cancer risk in the areas actually irradiated? So for argument's sake an x ray of the lower body wouldn't lead to cancerous changes in the upper body?

[surferjet]

Great information op thank you.
& yes, my sister was so relieved to be told on the day. Absolutely amazing.

[uhohspaghetti]

Also do different x ray machines have different radiation doses and does quality of image have any connection with radiation dose? I know about EOS etc but question is about regular machines

[Georgeofthejungle]

Thanks OP 🍔 x

[AirandMungBeans]

My four year old has a pea sized lump in his belly, about two inches above his belly button. The doctor thinks it's a lymph node or a small, hard epigastric hernia. We are waiting for an ultrasound. How likely is it that the sonographer will be able to tell if it's something nasty? He has lymph nodes up in his neck and dark circles under his eyes as well, so I'm freaking out about lymphoma and leukaemia at the moment.

[YoSoyLaPrincesa]

Laughing at your typo, sorry

[Menarefrommarsitwouldseem]

Radiographers will only x-ray a patient if they feel it is justified. As you say there is radiation involved and if it was unjustified the radiographer can refuse to do it. I have many times.

Newer x ray machines are much better for keeping the dose received down. In the older days we would look at the patient and choose our exposure factors? This is what the patient would receive.
Nowadays with digital radiography it kind of sets a maximum level for the size of the patient, density of the area we are imaging etc which we still decide on.
And as soon as the x rays reach the detector, it cuts out.
For example. Today I did a hip x ray, I set my exposures and the the patient only had half of that as the machine adjusts when the x ray is achieved.

Also, with younger patients we are more questioning over everything we do. In my trust we are anyway. It's precaution really, there are risks but again for comparison sake. A chest x ray is the equivalent in dose to 10 days background radiation which everyone receives.

Plain film is always useful as a baseline and will most likely be used as comparison with MRI to form a full picture.

[KatyMac]

Are very dense bones caused by anything particular?

I had a Dexa scan and my spine T is 3.....GP says well we can't change it so what - I'm a bit more 'well I'd like to know why'

[Menarefrommarsitwouldseem]

uhohspaghetti

No it doesn't work like that. Radiation can cause a cell change but not limited to the area under examination.
Please try not to worry. We do 100s a day and nowadays the dose is low.
It's one of a radiographers rules that's drummed into us. ALARA- as low as reasonably achievable.

[Menarefrommarsitwouldseem]

AirandMungBeans

As sonographers we are autonomous. So your sonographer on the day should tell you what they think.
So it's a hernia. Or, I'm not sure and it requires x, y, z tests. Etc

Again try not to worry. It's natural to think the worst.
Even me now. I get a headache and think I have a bleed on the brain.

[crosser62]

Do you know what an amazing job you do and how much you are truly truly appreciated?
Because you are you know, very much appreciated x

You and your colleagues are so under the radar, rarely mentioned and yet vitally important to us.
No question, just a huge thankyou op, you are all wonderful.

[SecretlyChartreuse]

Two questions:

How does fat affect the image?

How soon would you have to mention something like pregnancy? Do you have to keep your exposure low anyway?

[Flymetothemoon18]

My OH had an appointment at the urology department on Monday due to a large painful lump in his scrotum. He had an ultrasound, which the doctor was stumped with as it looks like he has grown a 3rd testicle! It has a blood supply and looks just like a testicle... he said he hasn’t seen anything like this before and was unsure how to treat it due to the blood supply so has booked him in for another scan to be done with consultants present. My question is, have you ever came across this during an ultrasound? If so what was the outcome and how does this even happen?