What Does A Vascular Technologist Do?
Vascular technologists are healthcare professionals who are responsible for operating ultrasound devices in getting images of blood vessels to check for disorders of the circulatory system. Some of the conditions that they help identify with their diagnostic equipment include atherosclerosis, Peripheral Artery Disease and aneurysm. The images they are able to derive from their medical equipment and their interpretation will help doctors and surgeons come up with the proper diagnoses that will save patients’ lives.
When seeing a patient scheduled to have an imaging procedure performed, vascular technologists will first talk with them to ascertain their medical history. They will also get the patient’s general condition by checking their pulse rate, getting their temperature, measuring their blood pressure and taking other vital signs. They make sure to put this down on the patient’s record together with additional information that the latter will provide.
Setting up the equipment is also an important part of their job. They see to it that it is functioning well and ensure that it is clean and sterile before letting another patient use it. They also check that all the necessary materials and supplies are readily available.
Vascular technologists must explain the procedure step by step to the patient before proceeding with it. They must keep in mind that this is vital to calming the patient who could be in pain or emotionally and mentally distressed at his medical condition and in getting his cooperation. It’s important for vascular technologists to instruct the patients on what to expect from the procedure and give clear instructions on the position they should assume so that a clear image is obtained by the ultrasound equipment. During the course of the procedure, vascular technologists may have to assist the patient who cannot move by himself to move in different positions to get the clearest possible image. If they notice something odd, they adjust the ultrasound machine to get a very detailed picture possible. This is very crucial in determining what the problem is.
After the procedure is carried out, the vascular technologist will then take a closer look at the images derived from the ultrasound machine. They will then interpret what they see based on their knowledge of the vascular system and write a report about their findings. They will then provide a copy of their report to the physician who requested for the ultrasound. If the doctor has questions about the images or wants more pictures to be taken on a particular area to rule out or make certain a diagnosis, vascular technologists will accommodate the request. If subsequent medical procedures need to be carried out on the patient, vascular technologists may also be asked by the surgeon to provide assistance.
Even if vascular technologists know what a patient’s condition is, it is not their responsibility to discuss this with the patient. They only confer with the patient’s doctor who will be the one to bring news to their patient about the results of the diagnostic imaging procedure.
Career Spotlight: Vascular Technologist
If you are fascinated with the field of diagnostic imaging, you can consider a career as a vascular technologist. In this profession, you will be working together with diagnostic medical sonographers [...]
