Sonography is one of the most popular diagnostic examinations today because it’s relative safety. There is no radiation used in sonography, or invasive procedures such as using dyes and other similar substances. Because of this, sonography is being used in surgery, anesthesia, and diagnosis of a variety of different diseases. When a student studies in an accredited sonogram tech school, he or she receives the best training possible – including different ways sonography is used in today’s healthcare.
The first application of ultrasound
The first evidence of sonography being used as a diagnostic procedure was performed by Dr. Karl Dussik, a psychiatrist in Austria. His images were then termed hyperphonography, where an emitter probe was placed on one side of the head and the receive probe on the other. This design was initially used to image the brain for abnormal growths such as tumors. This was very different from the single-probe transducer used into modern sonography.
The first accounted for use of a single-probe transmitter was by a Scottish doctor, Ian Donald, in 1957. A year later, sonography was used in pregnancy imaging – the most popular use of sonography today. In terms of anesthesia applications, the earliest recorded studies went as far back as 1978. With more and more studies being performed in the capabilities of sonography, it has gone beyond simply being a prenatal diagnostic test to one of the most useful examinations performed in healthcare.
The first accounted for use of a single-probe transmitter was by a Scottish doctor, Ian Donald, in 1957. A year later, sonography was used in pregnancy imaging – the most popular use of sonography today. In terms of anesthesia applications, the earliest recorded studies went as far back as 1978. With more and more studies being performed in the capabilities of sonography, it has gone beyond simply being a prenatal diagnostic test to one of the most useful examinations performed in healthcare.
Clinical anesthesia and sonography
There are three basic steps when sonography is used in anesthesia, the acquisition of the image, its interpretation, and the ability of the sonographer to produce them. In anesthesia, sonography is very useful in determining needle placement, either from a cross section or longitudinal section. Sonography is most popularly used to assess needle placement in spinal or epidural anesthia, or when central and arterial access is obtained.
Become a sonogram technician
Every year, the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) accredits schools that offer a Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) program. When a sonogram tech school is accredited, it means that their curriculum has met the requirements set by the organization, offering the best possible training for the students. There are currently 212 schools in the US that are accredited by CAAHEP, out which only 3 are online schools.
If you are wondering how long sonography programs take, it all depends on what you choose to study. There are generally three kinds of programs, certificate, associate degree, and bachelor degree programs. These take one, two, and four years long to complete respectively.
If you are wondering how long sonography programs take, it all depends on what you choose to study. There are generally three kinds of programs, certificate, associate degree, and bachelor degree programs. These take one, two, and four years long to complete respectively.
Getting specialized
Once a person becomes a sonographer and passes the sonography certification exam, he or she can choose to pursue further studies to become a specialist sonographer. Different ultrasound tech schools and organizations offer classes and programs where you can credit them as CME units (continued medical education). Writing scholarly papers and participating in writing research proposals and studies are also considered CMEs that can be credited to your profession.
The popularity of sonography in anesthesia
A lot of the popularity of sonography in anesthesia is due to its overall safety and non-invasiveness when used on a person. It is quite useful not only in diagnosis but real-time procedures and management of certain conditions. It mixes assessment, diagnosis, and intervention in a span of minutes, as opposed to performing diagnostics, followed by the procedure, followed by another set of diagnostics. This is time consuming and quite un-ideal for urgent cases. You can learn more about these skills in your sonogram tech school.