As CT technologists we often wonder if the scan we are performing is really necessary. Do we not fully understand the severity of the illness, have we not taken a thorough history, or are we thinking about the potential unnecessary radiation the patient is about to receive. These are all things that pop into our minds from time to ...

Last weekend the veteran technologist I usually work with was away at a conference. I had no idea who I’d be working with and this left me feeling a little uneasy. It turned out that Saturday I worked with a woman I am very familiar with and truly enjoy and Sunday with a woman I rarely encounter. I was very proud of how I handled myself throughout ...

One dilemma I occasionally face is having to scan a patient who has killed someone. We often get motor vehicle accident traumas brought in after a fatality, and the patient we are scanning is the cause of the accident. I had one such case last weekend, where a man was driving drunk with his wife and son in the car. The wife was pretty banged up ...

This week I saw my first patient refuse her CT scan due to her concerns of receiving too much radiation. She stated that she has had numerous scans recently and knows that the radiation can be dangerous. This led me to research this topic a bit and gather some more information so I could be better informed. I found an article in USA Today that ...

Tampa General Hospital, my home away from home on the weekends, does a great deal to ensure that all employees provide the best customer service to all of our patients and visitors. This week, I attended a four-hour training off site at a beautiful hotel on the water. A delicious dinner was also provided, and we even got paid for our time.The ...

I recently had the pleasure of taking care of and scanning my first legally blind patient. Having worked with special needs children in previous jobs I had no reservations about treating this patient. Most patients are usually in pain and scared to have their first CT so you can imagine how nervous she must have been not being able to see the ...

Recently the number of infants and children I’m scanning seems to be increasing. This population presents many challenges for me and my co-workers. How do you get an infant to stop crying and hold still long enough to get a diagnostic study? How do you deal with the scared parent(s)? Also, is a CT scan really the best option for a child due to the ...

I had a very good weekend at work. I'm getting a little more used to the overnights and lack of sleep. Most important, I'm feeling much more comfortable doing the actual job. Overnight is the busiest time so working fast and smart is essential. My co-workers have been impressed with the pace I can keep since I'm new but I'm no stranger to hard ...