NORTON, Kan. – Norton County Hospital recognizes the important role that diagnostic medical sonographers play in the medical field during Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month, which is celebrated annually during October.
Ultrasound is a type of medical imaging that uses high-frequency sound waves to look inside the body. The technology was discovered in the 1820s and first used in modern medicine in 1942. Ultrasound equipment and the technologists who run the machines play an instrumental role in providing high-quality patient care.
Sonographers – also called ultrasound technologists – use ultrasound machines to view images of the beating heart, fetal growth, blood vessels and more. In fact, ultrasound is applied in many clinical settings, especially radiology, obstetrics and gynecology, and cardiology, and it is growing in specialty areas, such as anesthesiology and oncology. Additionally, ultrasound is growing faster than other medical imaging exams, such as CT or MRI. Some reasons are because ultrasound is easy to use and low-cost.
Ultrasound machines are safe, patient-friendly, and can now be as small as smartphones or tablets. Because they’re so portable, ultrasound systems are often the exam of choice, for instance, to diagnose a patient with a physical disability or when a rapid finding is needed in the emergency room.
Sonographers should be commended for their technical and detailed work that supports improved patient care and outcomes. Ultrasound staff members at Norton County Hospital include Shawnee Branek and Marla Kuhn. These staff members do ultrasound work on-site at the hospital and using a mobile ultrasound unit.
For more information about the Diagnostic Imaging department at Norton County Hospital, or to learn more about our ultrasound services or staff, visit http://www.ntcohosp.com/services/radiology.html.