Reflections in Real Time

Sometimes We're the Bearers of Bad News

Daniel Merton — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:04:00 GMT

I recently read an article in my local paper about "gender disappointment". That's the term given to wanting a baby of one gender but having the opposite and the feelings of sadness that result. I never realized how big a deal this can be for some parents....(read more)

Breast Sonography: Not Just for "Cyst vs. Solid" Anymore

Daniel Merton — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:03:00 GMT

Since October is both Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it seems fitting to extol the virtues of diagnostic medical sonography for breast applications. In the past, sonographic examinations of the breast were primarily...(read more)

Happy Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month!

Daniel Merton — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:30:00 GMT

Although much of the public's attention is focused on October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, as most of us know, its also Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month . That means its our chance to increase the public's knowledge about the field of sonography....(read more)

Practice Due Diligence

Daniel Merton — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:54:00 GMT

Its disturbing to read about students having a bad experience that could be avoided. Another diagnostic medical sonography program is the focus of a class-action complaint because it allegedly misrepresented its accreditation status. As reported in the...(read more)

It Just Makes Sense...And Saves Lives

Daniel Merton — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:14:00 GMT

The title of the article read "Woman bleeds to death after doctor accidentally punctures jugular while inserting a drip - and no blood is available for transfusion"- clearly a tragic result of a relatively minor procedure gone terribly wrong. Two unfortunate...(read more)

Help for Sonographers to Get Credentialed

Daniel Merton — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:30:00 GMT

SDMS Foundation's Sonography Certification Examination Grant Program As announced in the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography's August Newswave , the SDMS Foundation has recently announced that Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences will provide...(read more)

NJ Law to Restrict Sale of Ultrasound Equipment

Daniel Merton — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 01:23:00 GMT

There is a bill in my home state of New Jersey that, if passed, will restrict the sale of ultrasound scanners. NJ Assembly Bill No. 3477 states: A person shall not sell, offer to sell, offer for promotional purposes, lease, or otherwise distribute in...(read more)

OB Patients Come Prepared

Daniel Merton — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:12:00 GMT

From my experience performing OB scans, parents-to-be who want to know the gender of their baby outnumber those who don't. When my wife was pregnant neither of us gave it a second thought - we were going to know if we were having a boy or girl as soon...(read more)

Compact Scanners Continue to Drive Market

Daniel Merton — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 01:12:00 GMT

A recently released medical ultrasound technology market report provides good news for manufacturers of ultrasound imaging (US) equipment. Sales of US scanners world wide is expected to reach $4.7 billion by the year 2012 with a particularly high demand...(read more)

Texas Law Requires Widespread Cardiovascular Screening

Daniel Merton — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:14:00 GMT

A new Texas law requires coronary artery calcium (CAC) scans and duplex carotid sonography examinations for ALL men ages 45-75 and women ages 55-75, as well as anyone regardless of age who has diabetes or is considered at risk for heart disease. That...(read more)

Oregon Close to Requiring Licensure

Daniel Merton — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:34:00 GMT

According to the June 30, 2009 issue of the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography's newsletter Newswave , the Oregon Legislature has passed sonographer licensure legislation. The bill (HB 2245) , which addresses licensure for a variety of medical professions...(read more)

Biopsies at the Supermarket

Daniel Merton — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:10:00 GMT

Researchers at Duke University are developing robotic technologies that they believe could change the way patients undergo ultrasound-guided diagnostic biopsies and other medical procedures. The team has been making steady progress with their inventions....(read more)

Law Bans Entertainment OB Scans

Daniel Merton — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:01:00 GMT

In my last post I described a bill that was pending in Connecticut that would ban businesses that provided entertainment obstetrical sonograms. As an update: Connecticut's Governor M. Jodi Rell last week signed the bill into law. According to a story...(read more)

Prescription Use Only

Daniel Merton — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:38:00 GMT

Call it a victim of its own success: Vast improvements in the quality of images obtained with three- and four-dimensional ultrasound technology have contributed to the modality's wide-spread use for non-medical reasons or "entertainment OB scans." According...(read more)

Something to Smile About (Again)

Daniel Merton — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:11:00 GMT

It's Friday--we should all be happy! Well, here is even more reason to smile, and maybe even raise your glass in cheer at your favorite watering hole (after work, of course): Yet another report has indicated that the field of sonography is one of the...(read more)