The tough job market continues to affect me. I got hired at the VA as a fee-based CT technologist on a part time basis. I was told that I would work 5 days a week every other week until the two full-time open positions were filled. This was supposed to take me at least into the fall of this year. In an unprecedented turn of events, the usually ...

In Canada, CT scans will now be more readily available to four legged patients. Charlottetown’s Atlantic Veterinary College in Prince Edward Island is testing a new CT machine that will be used to diagnose animals. In the past, only the critical cases were taken to a local human hospital under sedation and scanned. This new machine will be ...

It is estimated that up to 1% of all cancers in the United States can be linked to medical radiation. This means with each x-ray or CT scan the risk increases. A recent study in The Journal of Cancer found a link between dental x-rays and brain tumors called meningiomas. The majority of the tumors are benign but depending upon their location they ...

I went to Florida last week to visit my family and friends. One of the days I was there I visited a friend of my mom's. After we got caught up she was eager to discuss her concerns with me about having a medical procedure the following day. She was scheduled to have a venous doppler ultrasound of her leg. She had been having leg pain and the ...

As the NFL playoffs continue this weekend, I did some research to find out if all NFL stadiums are equipped with x-ray machines. This is something I have always wondered about and found the answer today. The year was 1973 and Dale Hackbart was playing in the first regular season game for the Denver Broncos against the Cincinnati Bengals. Just ...

The hospital where I recently worked went smoke free in February 2011, and it was a welcome change. There was nothing worse than walking into work behind someone smoking. I know this ban poses a strain on staff, patients, and visitors, but it's for the health of all involved. I would usually take my break in a beautiful outdoor area overlooking ...

As much as I miss my former colleagues and my job, I don't miss working on holidays. I was scheduled to work on Christmas from 7a-7p. I usually signed up to work this holiday so my co-workers with children could have it off. Although most stores and businesses close early today, hospitals are always open. Don't take for granted that whatever ...

You can say just about anything as long as you say it nicely. Our word choice and tone of voice drastically affect the reactions and outcomes we get when communicating. When speaking to patients it is very important to make certain they hear us and are receptive to our instructions so we can get the best x-ray or scan possible. Portable chest ...

When most of us consider medical radiation exposure we first think of CT scans, fluoroscopic and interventional procedures, and emergent x-rays. I think many of us forget to consider the x-rays we get at the dentist's office. It is important to ask your dentist why you need any x-ray that you might be receiving. Don't ever be afraid to challenge a ...

It’s not every day that I get to be on the other side of the X-ray table or scanner. This week, I went for a mammogram and got to do just that. I was going to tell the technologist what I do for a living but decided not to. She was nice, but she did not make me feel at ease when I entered the room. She didn’t do several things that I try to always ...