The University of Virginia Health System
CELEBRATES MEDICAL ULTRASOUND AWARENESS MONTH OCTOBER
Recognizing the importance of increasing public awareness of medical ultrasound and promoting its value in health care, the Department of Radiology is celebrating Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month in October by sponsoring special activities designed to raise medical ultrasound awareness.
With ultrasound's increasing role in medicine, one of the main goals of the campaign is to provide the public with a better understanding of what ultrasound is, its many uses in health care, and to guide them toward locating and utilizing the best ultrasound practitioners and resources available.
A special display will be set up beside the hospital cafeteria in October hoping to familiarize and educate the public about medical ultrasound.
We invite you to join the University of Virginia Medical Center this October in promoting Medical Ultrasound Awareness by participating in our activities
Facts
WHAT IS ULTRASOUND?
Ultrasound is any sound at a frequency that is above the range of human hearing. Diagnostic medical ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of organs and structures inside the body, and is broken into several subgroups according to the specialized area of the body focused upon by a specific procedure. Ultrasound images of the heart are called echocardiograms, and the procedure is called echocardiography; ultrasound images of most other parts of the body are called sonograms, and the procedure is commonly called sonography. Ultrasound tests looking at blood vessels and blood flow are called noninvasive vascular ultrasound examinations.
Unlike many other imaging procedures, ultrasound does not use x rays or other forms of ionizing radiation. An instrument called a transducer is placed against the body, and special gel helps transmit the sound. In most types of diagnostic medical ultrasound examinations, the transducer emits short bursts of sound, which bounce off a structure and return to the transducer. These echoes are processed by a computer, and the images they create are displayed on a monitor.
WHO ARE THE ULTRASOUND PROFESSIONALS INVOLVED IN MY CARE?
Physicians who interpret ultrasound examinations are called sonologists. Although many sonologists perform the tests themselves, they often employ highly skilled professionals called sonographers. These individuals have completed extensive, specialized education in the field of diagnostic medical ultrasound. Sonographers who specialize in cardiac ultrasound are called echocardiographers, and those who specialize in ultrasound of the blood vessels are called vascular technologists.
Although a sonographer may play a critical role in extracting the information necessary to derive a diagnosis, the rendering of a final diagnosis of an ultrasound study is the responsibility of the supervising sonologist.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I AM RECEIVING HIGH-QUALITY ULTRASOUND SERVICES?
Ask whether your sonographer is certified. Certified sonographers have demonstrated that they have specific training, experience, and knowledge to perform an ultrasound examination safely and accurately. To maintain their certification, sonographers are required to earn continuing medical education credits each year, which helps ensure that they remain up-to-date in ultrasound technology and patient care. Ask whether the ultrasound practice you are visiting is accredited. Facilities that have obtained accreditation have demonstrated competency in every aspect of their ultrasound operations, including the education and training of physicians and sonographers, calibration and maintenance of the ultrasound equipment, document storage, policies for safeguarding patients, and accuracy in diagnosis.
HOW SHOULD DIAGNOSTIC MEDICAL ULTRASOUND BE USED?
Diagnostic medical ultrasound should be used in a prudent manner to provide a medical benefit to the patient. Non-medical use of ultrasound for psychosocial or entertainment purposes is strongly discouraged. The use of ultrasound only to view a fetus, obtain a picture of a fetus, or determine the fetal sex without a medical indication is inappropriate and contrary to responsible medical practice.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT
American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM)
American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS)
American Society of Echocardiography (ASE)
Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI)
Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS)
Society for Vascular Ultrasound (SVU)