Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
Nov
21
Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
“How Do You Know That?”
Woman looking at ultrasound screen during the scan: “Oh, look, it’s a complex cyst.”
Ultrasound Tech: “How do you know that?”
Woman: “I’ve had so many of these, I can practically read them myself.”
Tech immediately turns screen so the woman cannot see it.
There are 21 comments to this post.
There’s probably some legal consideration here because the same way they don’t want to be sued if the tech says, “This looks fine” and the radiologist comes in and says, “We diagnosed Demeaning Plebney,” they don’t want to be sued if you read your own ultrasound picture and make a mistake about what you think you saw. :-b
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Laurel Reply:
November 22nd, 2012 at 2:12 pm (Quote)
Techs usually “aren’t qualified” to diagnose and aren’t supposed to give much info. Even if they’ve been a tech for a decade and are very good at the work they do and can recognize problems or issues, they’re “supposed” to let the doctors interpret and diagnose.
I had a great ultrasound tech for my last baby’s ultrasound but she couldn’t really give me much info past the really basic stuff because they aren’t “allowed” to. Same with the imaging techs for x-rays and stuff like that. They aren’t supposed to interpret the tests and give out info, even if a problem is clear.
At least that’s been my experience. I have had clear things wrong on MRI or X-ray and I’ve had to wait for the doc or radiologist’s report. Stuff I can see “wrong” on the scan, so the tech could as well, but I still had to wait :/
I loved having OB service in Germany, the OB did all of the scan herself. No middle-man. She was SO good at reading them because she did them every day.
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Jane Reply:
November 22nd, 2012 at 3:58 pm (Quote)
I understand why they won’t let a tech make a diagnosis (even when it’s perfectly obvious on the screen) BUT what I don’t understand is why a tech wouldn’t let a patient look at the screen herself. How would this go during a supposed m a l p r a c t i c e case?
“Your honor, I looked at the screen and diagnosed that I had a complex cyst, but it turns out I didn’t have one.”
“Okay. And where’s the misdiagnosis?”
“Well, that was it. I thought I saw a complex cyst, but I didn’t.”
“And…?”
“Well, I was worried for about half an hour. I think I deserve compensation for my pain and suffering.”
“…that you caused yourself…?”
I just can’t see how they feel like they’re l i a b l e if they allow a patient to see her own test results. 
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Laurel Reply:
November 22nd, 2012 at 4:46 pm (Quote)
Dude, I have no idea!
My guess, if the tech wasn’t just being a witch, is that no one is supposed to discuss any diagnosis or possible one or confirm any suspicion until the doctor comes in.
My DH wasn’t even allowed in the room for most of the anatomy scan for the last baby. He could only come in at the last bit, to see the baby. It wasn’t even that he had the kids with him, it was that no one but myself and the tech could be there, even if I invited them in, during that time. I don’t understand why those were the rules but it “just was.”
Or the tech was being rude. :shrug:
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Okay, but this is the inside of MY* body. Why the hell is it okay for them to inspect it and write down whatever they see but turn the screen and you have to get your records from someone to see/read? It’s MY RIGHT to know what’s going on in there. Period. This stuff pissed me off beyond belief.
(*Whoevers, using my here because it’s been my argument)
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This was mine, and was the same tech from here: http://myobsaidwhat.com/2012/07/30/i-already-checked-once/
She had a giant chip on her shoulder over being second-best to another tech. What’s funny is, despite legal issues, both of the techs at this office always talked a lot, showing me everything as they went. That’s how I got so good at reading scans in the first place. The problem wasn’t that I knew before the doctor told me, it was that I knew before *she* told me.
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Okay, my first comment got eaten, probably because I linked to another MOSW comment from this winner.
I’m the OP. This tech had a chip on her shoulder over being second-best to another tech in the office. What’s funny is both of them would talk a lot during my scans, showing me everything as they went. That’s how I got so good at reading them in the first place. The problem wasn’t that I knew before the doctor told me, it was that I knew before *she* told me.
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Okay, my comment has been eaten twice. I’m trying this one with another e-mail address.
I’m the OP. This tech had a chip on her shoulder over being second-best to another tech in the office. What’s funny is both of them would talk a lot during my scans, showing me everything as they went. That’s how I got so good at reading them in the first place. The problem wasn’t that I knew before the doctor told me, it was that I knew before *she* told me.
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This tech has been featured here before. The office had two US techs, one who was “the best tech in the area” and this one who had a chip on her shoulder over being second.
I’d had dozens of USs with both of these techs. They always told and showed me everything they were seeing throughout the scans, which is why I had gotten so good at reading them. She was upset I knew what was going on before she told me.
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It won’t let me post!
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Jen Reply:
November 21st, 2012 at 8:42 pm (Quote)
Of course that one went through. This office had two techs, “the best in the area” and this one who had a chip on her shoulder over being second. I’d had numerous scans with both techs, and they always showed and told me everything they saw. That’s how I got so good at reading them. The tech was upset I knew what it was before she told me.
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road2vba2c had this to say,
Nov 22, 2012 @ 5:10 am (Quote)
When I had a heart sonogram, the tech told me I wasn’t allowed to look at the screen. She said it was because she couldn’t give me the results and she didn’t want me “interpreting” it on my own. Yes, she used quotation marks…
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Just like when I was in the ER for severe abdominal cramping at 14 weeks. . . They wouldn’t let my mom come in and hold my hand (I have serious problems with being alone with strangers… I won’t go into detail but it gives me panic attacks and idk its just not good)
I had to go in this too. With the tech alone and wasn’t even allowed to see the screen to see the baby. I just had to lay there and hope. She didn’t even smile. Just pushed and proded my belly, got angles and wheeled me out back to my room. They never even diagnosed me. Just said to take Tylenol and go to sleep. =( thank god it stopped two days later but I was so worried. I was going to miscarry the whole time. I was supposed to check in with my OB as I had an appointment that Tuesday to get the U/S results but it was Friday and labor day weekend so 3 days of excruciating waiting…
Needless to say I’m still pregnant but I could’ve done without that panic…
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Bethany Reeves had this to say,
Dec 2, 2012 @ 4:43 pm (Quote)
I am not sure it is limited to US techs… I went the ER years ago with what I knew was a case of pneumonia- up to that point I had had it every year since I was 2 and I was probably 26- I know the symptoms. I tried to just get the ER doc to give me a script and let me go home.. Nope – had to have the chest xray. Took the tech 4 tries because I couldn’t hold my breath long enough. When she finally puts for 4th set of films up to make sure that they took, they were completely white. I said looks like pneumonia to me. She said very coldly “you can wait in the hall”. They take me back to the room and the doc walks in and says looks like you have pneumonia (REALLY???) and here’s a script for 500mg amoxicillian 3 times a day for 10 days – wasn’t that what I told you I needed 3 hours ago??!?!?!?!?!?!
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I have a rule: they’re not allowed to do a test I’m not “allowed” to look at *while it’s happening to me*. If I’m not allowed to see it, then you aren’t, either. Don’t like it? Too bad.
They don’t have to say a word. I get the whole malpractice / scope of practice thing. But I damn well WILL be privy to the information they’re taking from MY body. If they “need” a reason (besides the obvious bedrock reason that this is my body), I give them one. I’ve been through too many miscarriages to handle going through that experience blind and unable to see the screen. Serious panic attack. I don’t need them to tell me what is on the screen. I don’t even need them to verify what I see.
Don’t think they’re “allowed”? Then they’re not allowed to do the damn test.
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The tech seems just a tad insecure in his/her job…
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