Torres' Patient Care in Imaging Technology, 8thed
Chapter 2: Professional Issues
Case Studies Answers
1. First, you must determine if Mrs. Schanck is able to cooperate with you for the move. Is she able to keep her arms across her chest? Does she understand directions and can she follow them? Also, determine the extent of her body alignment: does she have any broken bones; does she have areas of possible pathology that should be of concern to you?
2. Given her age, and the fact that she is here for an abdominal series, the best way is probably a sliding board. At this point, you determine that lunch is out of the question for now and you obtain the help you need to get the patient moved effectively.
3. Since you plan on performing a decubitus position, you will need to have help with you for the remainder of the exam. One of you must stay with the patient while the other processes the images and determines the need for more images.
As an aside, the patient can also be done on the gurney. After taking the AP chest image on the gurney, lay the head of the gurney down, roll the patient on her left side and push the gurney up against the upright wall Bucky. After this image is complete, and before the patient rolls back on her back, place an IR with a grid cap under the patient then roll her back for an abdomen. Be sure to put the side rails of the gurney up for this image if all technologists leave the room for the exposure.
What must be considered here is whether the patient can handle the move plus the roll or if it is better for her to lay on the hard IR with the grid cap.