An ultrasonographer is a trained medical professional who uses and interprets diagnostic imaging, or sonography, results. Imaging technology is frequently used to track pregnancy and the health of babies during pregnancy, but it can also be used to diagnose abnormalities or disease. Ultrasonographers, also known as diagnostic medical sonographers or ultrasound technicians, diagnose conditions using sonography technology and the foundations of medical training. While most ultrasound technicians are not doctors, they collaborate with them to identify problems and begin treatment.
Many obstetrics and gynecological (OB/GYN) practices employ an ultrasonographer who performs routine ultrasound imaging for pregnant patients. This usually entails applying a clear gel to the patient’s abdomen, which aids in the detection of sound waves. The transducer, a flat, hand-held device, is then used to glide over the stomach’s surface, often targeting specific areas on the top, bottom, or sides. Images are formed as the machine’s sound waves bounce off of the organs and growths in the body while the ultrasonographer is using the transducer. These images are broadcast live on a monitor and can be printed as photographs or recorded as video for later replay.
Ultrasonographers are employed hospitals to perform diagnostic imaging on OB/GYN patients as well as non-pregnant patients. Ultrasounds can produce images of all of the major internal organs, as well as some blood vessels, which an ultrasonographer can “read” and interpret to help diagnose problems in and around the abdomen. Growths, bleeding, and swelling, as well as kidney or gallbladder stones and hernias, are some of the abnormalities they look for.
Diagnostic imaging may appear to the untrained eye to be nothing more than black and gray blobs and static, but ultrasonographers are trained to recognize and interpret the results of this sonography. An ultrasound technician must complete a two- to four-year associate’s or bachelor’s degree program that includes specialized education and clinical training. The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography and the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, both based in the United States, provide information on degree programs and accreditation. Opportunities for employment as an ultrasonographer were expected to grow in the twenty-first century, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and other job forecasts.