Diagnostic Radiology is a field of medicine that aids in the identification of certain medical conditions with the use of non-invasive imaging scans. Methods and equipment may, at times involve radiation in low doses to create images that are highly detailed.
Diagnostic radiology is used to identify a variety of health concerns. Fractures, cardiovascular conditions, blood coagulation, and dyscrasia and gastrointestinal disturbances are but a few of the conditions ascertained with the help of diagnostic radiology. Most types of cancer are currently diagnosed, monitored and treated in co-management with this field.
Diagnostic Imaging refers to a set of methodologies and technology that make use of techniques that are mostly non-invasive to visualize and thus diagnose, monitor and provide treatment to certain health concerns.
The following are the more common machines Radiologic Technology utilizes in accordance with the organs of the body being visualized:
- X-ray machine – utilizes a type of electromagnetic radiation, the X-ray, to construct images of the body’s interior without having to cut through skin
- Ultrasonography machine – utilizes high-frequency sound waves to project moving images of the inside of the body or at times, an unborn baby unto a screen
- CT (Computed Tomography) scanner – creates a sequence of images that depicts the soft tissues of the body in a cross-sectional view. It also makes use of X-ray equipment and gives highly detailed images aiding in the identification of the source of the problem
- MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) machine – unlike the X-ray and the CT scan machines, this uses a magnetic field to focus on some parts of the body, like the bones, which are not seen as clearly by the other imaging machines
- Nuclear medicine imaging, including PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scanner – an imaging machine that reveals how your organs and tissues are functioning with the use of a radioactive drug (tracer). The PET scanner can detect some diseases that are not initially detected by other imaging tests.
Some methods would utilize radiation while others incorporate the ingestion of compounds or injection of chemicals into the bloodstream for better visualization. Local or general anesthesia may sometimes be resorted to for the patient’s comfort or restriction of movement especially when scopes are to be inserted.
Each one of the imaging equipment uses a specific kind of technology. They vary in how accurate they can be in showing what is occurring in certain parts of the body, their organs, and tissues.
There is no one type of imaging technique that is better than the others. Each type of test has dissimilar potential advantages and disadvantages, including exposure to either radiation or some other chemical compound. It all depends on what your clinician is trying to look for or find out. Certain machines are best for some specific tests and thus, are recommended for that particular purpose.
It is always wise to fully understand and discuss the options with your health professional and have your tests done at a certified and reputable interventional radiology Australia clinic to ensure a thorough, accurate and complication-free diagnostic procedure.
