Interventional Radiology: A Case Study

One of the biggest advantages of MRI equipment is that it can be used to diagnose medical conditions in the heart, breast, bones, spine, and brain. This is the only imaging equipment, which can be used to diagnose issues, in all the above-mentioned parts of the body. The equipment can be used to identify stroke and blockages in the circulatory system, cardiovascular conditions, tumors, and injuries. There is an excellent return on investment in the MRI because of the variety of uses it has in a clinical setting (Keefer, 2011).

Modern medicine is capable of treating a tremendous range of human disease and injuries, but the usefulness of all medical specialties depends on accurate diagnosis. Virtually every conceivable medical specialty relies on radiological technologies to provide formal diagnoses, making radiology one of the most important of all medical specialties. Radiologists enjoy some of the best working conditions in modern medicine and typically experience very positive employment conditions. Consequently, their services are generally in very high demand, with many starting out with six-figure annual incomes immediately after completion of their professional training.

Attention material: Everyday, thousands of people are getting injured, having surgery, or being diagnosed with a disabling condition that could damage and impact their life forever if it is not treated. This is where physical therapists come into place. Today, I will be providing you all with a better understanding of the profession and the role they have on transforming their patient’s lives. According to World Confederation for Physical Therapy, “Physical therapists help people maximize their quality of life,

So, going in my practice as a physical therapist here in the US, my thinking is to put all the “responsibility to the doctors” (Marewski, & Gigerenzer, 2012 p.78). I look at a doctor’s referral for physical therapy and I make sure to look at all the X-ray results, MRI results, history, lab work etc to get a better idea on the clinical presentation of a patient. Initially,

During a brain MRI, a special mechanism called a head coil is placed around the patient's head to assist in producing very detailed images of the brain. The head coil does not touch the person, and the person can see through large gaps in the coil. A spine MRI is normally used to look for a herniated disk or narrowing of the spinal canal in patients with neck, arm, back, and leg pain. It is also the best examination to use to search for a recurrent disk herniation in a patient who has had prior back surgery. A bone and joint MRI can be used to check virtually all of the bones, joints, and soft tissues; it can be used to identify injured tendons, ligaments, muscles, cartilage, and bones. A MRI of the abdomen is most commonly used to look more specifically at an abnormality seen on another test, such as an ultrasound or a CT scan. The exam is usually customized to look at such organs as the liver, pancreas, or adrenal glands. For female patients, a pelvic MRI provides a more detailed look at the ovaries and uterus and is often used to follow up an abnormality seen on ultrasound. For male patients, a pelvic MRI is sometimes used to check those diagnosed with prostate cancer. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) depicts the blood vessels. The blood vessels in the neck and brain are often studied by MRA to look for areas of narrowing or widening. In the abdomen, the arteries supplying blood to the kidneys are also

Privilege to order diagnostic images are limited to the physicians only in many clinical settings. Yet, other health care specialists are allowed to order diagnostic images in some clinical settings. In relation to our profession, physical therapists in the United States are becoming more autonomous and can practice some degree of direct access to ordering diagnostic images in many states and in Washington, DC (Boyles et al. 2011). Moreover, I have always stated in my previous posts that I support allowing physical therapists to request images. This is because physical therapists have continued to make significant progress in considering pathology in determining the appropriateness of physical therapy for their patients (Davenport & Sebelski

Diagnostic imaging is one of the services the physicians use to optimize the patient management. Decades ago, the physiotherapists’ role in ordering or referring for diagnostic imagining was existed. For example, in 1972 the physical therapists have practiced as first access with the privileges of imaging and they were recognized as musculoskeletal providers (Benson, Schreck, Underwood, & Greathouse, 1995). Physical therapists have shown their equivalent abilities in accurately diagnosing and managing the musculoskeletal conditions as the orthopedic surgeons and categorizing if the patient in needed to be referred for further investigations as diagnostic imaging (Desmeules et al., 2013). Moreover, they have been found more accurate in diagnosing musculoskeletal conditions than non-orthopedic clinicians. (Moore et al., 2005).

Interventional radiology and image-guided medicine is a specialty of radiology in which radiologists diagnose and treat diseases without surgery by placing tiny tubes through the body's arteries and organs using X-rays and other imaging methods to guide them. This allows radiologists to deliver medications directly to a disease site, open blocked blood vessels, obtain biopsies, and perform a range of other procedures.

During a physical examination, the doctor will check to see if the joint moves through its entire range. They will be looking for swollen, painful, or tender as signs of joint damage. The doctor will also examine the neck and spine to see if they are lined up correct. Diagnosis test includes joint aspiration, X-Ray, and MRI. During joint aspiration fluid from the affected area will be removed. This process is done by inserting a needle into the joint. This test can cancel out other arthritis possibilities and medical conditions. X-Rays will show the damage to the joint. MRI is more expensive than an X-Ray, but has better quality than an X-Ray. They provide better images of the

Imaging should not be the sole basis of a clinician’s diagnosis, but should be appreciated as a tool to confirm or for differential diagnoses. It is prudent, as clinicians/diagnosticians, to be familiar with the clinical practice guides as they have undergone arduous testing processes and research by experts. The bottom line is, physical therapists are common providers for patients suffering from LBP and the available research advocate for a more conservative utilization of diagnostic imaging in the acute and subacute phases of LBP.

Diagnostic imaging is an important tool for the differential diagnosis of many musculoskeletal conditions. Physical therapists working in direct access roles are assuming greater diagnostic responsibility. The role of musculoskeletal imaging in physical therapist practice is therefore becoming increasingly important. Availability of diagnostic studies to physical therapists may vary greatly depending upon many factors within the practice setting. US Army physical therapists functioning as direct access providers have long held privileges for ordering imaging studies and laboratory tests considered essential to their diagnostic role.

Its arrival to health care in the 70s has completely modernized diagnostic radiology and its uses continue to improve to this day. It is estimated that more than 62 million CT scans per year are currently obtained in the United States, including at least 4 million for children (1). These drastic numbers have been largely driven by advances in CT technology that make it more user-friendly for all parties

Introduction Technology has improved radiology through: improved devices, quicker returns of diagnostic reports, and improvement of diagnosis and treatment. Without new technologies for radiology, our society would have to use the old way of viewing the body. In the past, surgeries would have needed to be done because they had no other way to view inside the body. The upgrades are costly but the overall outcome has been worth it.

Radiology is the field of medicine concerned with imaging patients for the purposes of diagnosing and treating diseases and other medical conditions. Since technological advances have improved, medical imaging has helped modernize the current practice of medicine. Through medical imaging, doctors are able to obtain a detailed view of the inside of the human body and obtain relevant qualitative and quantitative information regarding body tissues. “Nearly all physicians examine patients, obtain medical histories, diagnose illnesses, or prescribe and administer treatment for people suffering from injury or disease. According to American Medical Association statistics,

There are many roles that a physical therapist must assume outside of providing satisfactory physical therapy to patients including: educator, confidant, and even friend. Another major duty a therapist must master is determining if each patient/client is a suitable candidate for physical therapy1. This includes being able to identity if a patient’s major concern is truly a musculoskeletal problem that a physical therapist can help or if it systemic, in which the patient may need further screening by a medical doctor. Many diseases can present themselves as a musculoskeletal or neuromuscular problem, when in fact the disease is systemic. One example of this includes liver disease presenting as right shoulder pain or pancreatitis presenting as left shoulder pain; however, there are many other instances of a systemic problem manifesting as a musculoskeletal problem. It is vital of a physical therapist to be able to differentiate between the signs and symptoms of a medical disease or a neuromuscular/musculoskeletal dysfunction. Mississippi has not yet gained direct access; however, I know there is a big push for direct access in Mississippi and I believe this will become active soon. This is all the more reason, especially for us as students, to really place emphasis on learning how to address a problem as specifically as possible knowing when to treat, treat and refer, or refer.