Electronic Records/Imaging in Healthcare

Definitions obtained using:Source:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mriscans.html

MRI

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)– Uses a large magnet and radio waves– Able to look at organs and structures inside the

body.– Health care professionals use MRI scans to

diagnose a variety of conditions:• from torn ligaments to tumors.

– MRIs are very useful for examining the brain and spinal cord.

MRI Precautions

• Before an individual gets a scan:– Because the test uses a large magnet and uses radio

waves • A person must tell the doctor if they:– Are pregnant – Have pieces of metal in in their body. – A person might have metal in their body if they have

a shrapnel or bullet injury or if they are a welder – Have electronic devices in their body, such as a

cardiac pacemaker

How the MRI Test is Performed

• During the scan: – The individual lies on a table that slides inside a

tunnel-shaped machine. – Doing the scan can take a long time, and – The person must stay still. – The scan is painless. – The MRI machine makes a lot of noise. – The technician may offer the patient earplugs.

Medical X-rays

• All x-ray imaging is based on the absorption of x rays as they pass through the different parts of a patient's body.

• The type of tissue determines the amount of x rays absorbed such as :– muscle or lung– a different amount of x rays will pass through and

exit the body.

Conventional X-ray Images

• The chest x ray is the most common medical imaging examination. – It includes an image of the heart, lungs, and other

anatomy is recorded on the film.• Provide a 2-dimensional projection image of

the tissues within the patient's body - an x-ray produced "photograph" called a "radiograph."

• The conventional x-ray imaging is caught on x-ray film or other image receptor

Computed Tomography (CT)

• A diagnostic procedure that uses special X-ray equipment to create cross-sectional pictures of a person’s body.

• CT imaging system produces cross-sectional images or "slices" of anatomy, like the slices in a loaf of bread.

• CT images are produced using X-ray technology and powerful computers.

Computed Tomography (CT)(cont’d)

• CT images are produced using X-ray technology and powerful computers.

• The uses of CT include looking for– Broken bones – Cancers – Blood clots – Signs of heart disease – Internal bleeding

How the CT Scan is done

• During a CT scan:– The patient lays still on a table. – The table slowly passes through the center of a

large X-ray machine. – The test is painless. – During some tests the patient receives a contrast

dye– The dye makes parts of the body show up better

in the image.

Positron Emissions Tomography (PET)

• Commonly known as PET scan• A positron emission tomography (PET) scan is an

imaging test that uses a radioactive substance (called a tracer) to look for disease in the body.

• Unlike magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans, which reveal the structure of and blood flow to and from organs, a PET scan shows how organs and tissues are working.

How the PET Test is Performed• The health care provider will inject a small amount of a radioactive

material into one of the patients veins• The radioactive substance travels through the blood and collects in organs

and tissues.• The patient waits as the radioactive substance is absorbed by the body.

– This usually takes about 1 hour.• The patient lies down on a table

– The table slides into a tunnel-shaped hole in the center of the PET scanner.• The PET machine detects energy given off by the radioactive substance

– a computer changes the results into 3-dimensional pictures. – The images are displayed on a monitor for the health care provider to read.

• The patient must lie still during the PET scan so that the machine can produce clear images. – How long the test takes depends on what part of the body is being scanned.

• Today, most PET scans are done with CT scanning.

Why is the PET Test Performed?• A PET scan can reveal the size, shape, position, and some

function of organs.• This test can be used to:

– Check brain function– Diagnose:

• cancer, • heart problems,• and brain disorders

– See how far cancer has spread– PET scan show areas in which there is poor blood flow to the

heart• Several PET scans may be taken over time to determine

how well a person is responding to treatment for cancer or another illness.

PET Test Results• Normal Results– There are no problems detected in the size, shape, or

position of an organ. There are no areas in which the radiotracer has abnormally collected.

• What Abnormal Results May Indicate:– Abnormal heart function– Abnormal size, shape, or position of an organ– Alzheimer's disease– Cancer or tumors– Change in organ function– Infection

Ultrasound• Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to look

at organs and structures inside the body. • Unlike x-rays, ultrasound does not involve exposure to

radiation.• Health care professionals use them to view:– the heart, – blood vessels,– kidneys, – liver and– other organs. – During pregnancy, doctors use ultrasound tests to

examine the fetus.

How is the Ultrasound Test Performed?

• A device called a transducer is moved over part of the body by a special technician or doctor.

• The transducer sends out sound waves, which bounce off the tissues inside the body.

• The transducer also captures the waves that bounce back.

• Images are created from these sound waves.

Types of Ultrasounds (Recommend Student Group Work & Presentations)

• Abdominal Ultrasound• Doppler Ultrasound exam of an arm or leg• Echocardiogram• Intravascular ultrasound• Pregnancy ultrasound• Testicle ultrasound• Stress echocardiography

Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring• Monitor the baby's heartbeat in the uterus, including during labor

– External fetal monitoring uses sensitive electrodes (connected to monitors) placed on a woman’s abdomen over conducting jelly.

– Internal fetal monitoring involves placing a electrode directly on the fetal scalp through the cervix.

• These tests are performed to evaluate fetal heart rate and variability between beats in relation to the uterine contractions of labor.

• External fetal monitoring is very adequate for most births• Internal fetal monitoring is more concise

– used when external monitoring is unable to be maintained – or the healthcare provider determines the need for a closer

observation of the baby’s response to labor and/or to determine intensity of contraction.

Mammography • A mammogram is a special type of X-ray of the breasts.

– Mammograms can show tumors long before they are big enough for a person or a health care provider can feel.

– Recommended for women who have symptoms of breast cancer or who have a high risk of the disease.

– Mammograms are usually done yearly after the age 40 but may be done sooner or more often as determined by the patient’s health care provider

• Mammograms are quick and easy. – The person stands in front of an X-ray machine. – The person who takes the X-rays places a breast between two plastic

plates. – The plates press the breast and make it flat.

• This may be uncomfortable, but it helps get a clear picture. – An X-ray is taken of each breast. – A mammogram takes only a few seconds and it can help save a life.

NEED Pictures

• of CT Scan• Ultrasounds• mammograms

Reference Pages

– This Site has pictures of CT Scan and conventional chest x-rays • http://www.fda.gov/Radiation-EmittingProducts/

RadiationEmittingProductsandProcedures/MedicalImaging/MedicalX-Rays/ucm115318.htm

– URL of PET Scan: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003827.htm