News and Articles

Rad Tech’s Role in Radiation Dose Management in Angiography

When it comes to angiography, achieving the perfect image is a balancing act—like walking a tightrope between diagnostic clarity and radiation safety. This sophisticated imaging technique allows clinicians to visualize blood vessels with remarkable precision but…

Chain of Infection in Radiology

The chain of infection is defined as the traditional epidemiological triad model which maintains that infectious diseases result from the interaction of agents, hosts, and the environment. Transmission happens as the agent exits its reservoir or host through the…

MRI Artifacts: Understanding Causes and Solutions

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) stands as a cornerstone in modern medical diagnostics, providing detailed and non-invasive views of the human body. However, like any advanced technology, MRI is not without its challenges. One of the intriguing…..

Understanding CT Artifacts: A Comprehensive Guide

Artifacts are commonly encountered in clinical CT and may obscure or simulate pathology by distorting CT images. At the most basic level, a CT artifact is any discrepancy between the reconstructed values in a CT image and what is expected based on the material density…

Breast Cancer Screening: Advances in Imaging Technology

As breast cancer screening continues to evolve, innovations are improving early cancer detection, diagnostic accuracy, and patient care. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most recent advancements that are making waves in breast imaging designed for the everyday practice…

Radiologist Assistant Salary, Benefits, and Importance

In this article, we will explore the vital role of Registered Radiologist Assistants (RAs or R.R.A.s) and what makes their careers impactful and rewarding. We’ll examine how RAs contribute significantly to healthcare, including their key responsibilities in the radiology…

Monkeypox: An Overview and the Role of Radiologic Technologists and Sonographers in the U.S.

Monkeypox, a rare but potentially serious viral illness, has emerged as a significant public health concern in recent years, especially with its spread beyond endemic regions in Central and West…

Patient Safety in Medical Imaging – Infection Control

The significance of basic infection control and the methods healthcare professionals can use to prevent disease transmission in clinical settings are crucial aspects of patient safety. The primary profess..

The Global Impact of Continuing Education in Radiology

In an episode of “The Skeleton Crew Podcast”, host Jen Callahan sits down with Roy, the president of Medical Professionals, to delve into the critical topic of continuing education for radiology technologists (RTs)…

MRI Safety and Efficiency: A Comprehensive Guide to MRI Quenching and Alternatives

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines are indispensable medical diagnosis and research tools, utilizing strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of the…

Rotationplasty: A unique option for patients with osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is the most common type of bone cancer among children, adolescents and young adults. Treatments vary and typically involve surgical intervention, radiation and possibly chemotherapy. The following article will…

Revolutionizing Medical Imaging Technology

Medical imaging technology has evolved impressively over the past decades. While reaching the advanced level of technology depicted in Star Trek—where doctors can instantly diagnose patients by waving a wand—might seem impossible…

Mental Health in Healthcare Workers

Mental health is vital to overall well-being, particularly for radiologic technologists in the United States who face unique job-related stressors. A forthcoming study in the January 2023 issue of Radiologic Technology…

The Role of a Medical Physicist in a Radiotherapy Center

Medical physicists apply their knowledge of physics and technical methods to all parts of medicine to conduct research, establish or refine theories, and solve problems related to human disease diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. A medical physicist brings…

Digital Subtraction Angiography and CT Angiography

Subtraction is a post-processing technique that is used to eliminate high-density structures, such as bone, from CT images. A subtraction dataset is obtained by subtracting a non-contrast acquisition known as a mask image..

Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Radiology

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an umbrella term that includes the theory and development of computer systems that perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and prediction…

Exploring Careers for Radiologic Technologists

Radiologic technologists, play a crucial role in the healthcare industry by operating on different imaging equipment and using various imaging techniques to diagnose and treat patients. Although radiologic technologists’ primary education…

Stereotactic Radiosurgery – SRS and SBRT Techniques

Radiation therapy is one of the most common methods used to treat cancer. It involves the use of high-energy radiation to destroy cancer cells. One of the radiation therapy techniques used is stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS).

Anatomical Variations Found in Cardiac CT

Embarking on our exploration of the intricate marvel that is the human heart, we can’t help but ponder upon a fundamental inquiry: What is this vital organ, and where does it reside within the intricacies of our thoracic cavity?

Innovations in Radiation Therapy: Current Advances and Impacts

Cancer is a multigenic and multicellular disease that can arise from all cell types and organs. It remains the leading cause of death globally. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) recently estimated that 7.6 million deaths…

A Rad Tech Guide to Effective Communication with Patients

Effective patient communication is a vital component of patient care that is sometimes overlooked and devalued. Communication is both an art and a science, with the art being the establishment of a human connection…

Bariatric Procedures in CT

Obesity is a disease that has reached epidemic proportions in the United States and around the world. Statistics show the percentage of adults aged 20 and over with obesity was 41.9% during the period of 2017-March to 2020…

Rad Techs – The Unsung Heroes in the Patient Care Process

Every patient who suffered from an illness will always remember his specialist and the nurse who supported him/her for the heroes they were and for the care they provided. There is no doubt that they deserve that recognition…

Patient and Family Education in Radiation Oncology

Radiation oncology is a medical specialty that involves the use of high-energy radiation to treat cancer. It works by damaging the DNA inside cancer cells, which stops their ability to grow and divide. Radiation oncologists work with the other…

3D FLAIR vs. 2D Dual echo T2/DP in Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is considered as an autoimmune chronic demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). It is one of the most common causes of disability in young adults. The cause of MS remains unknown despite many years of research .Its development, however, is…

Brain Imaging in Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, has become an alarming public health concern as the global population continues to age. Characterized by cognitive decline, memory loss, and a host of behavioral changes…

From Patient to Technologist: A Serious Case of Scoliosis

Born and raised in sunny Jamaica, Kamala Anderson grew up learning the importance of community and helping others. Her journey as a young girl suffering from scoliosis delved her into a medical world she has never quite departed…

Unveiling “Verheij Syndrome”: MRI Findings Illuminate a Unique Clinical Feature

In the vast and intricate realm of human genetics, there exists a myriad of rare disorders that continue to challenge researchers and medical practitioners alike. One such puzzling condition is Verheij syndrome, a rare genetic disorder…

Facility Safety Management in Radiation Therapy

For more than a century, radiation has been used safely to treat cancer patients. The potential dangers of ionizing radiation were recognized early on, leading to procedures that minimize worker and public exposure to radiation…

Advantages of Virtual Reality for patients requiring an MRI exam

Among medical imaging techniques, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been shown to be the safest and most precise. Nonetheless, despite its non-invasive and painless nature, an MRI exam remains troublesome and unpleasant…

Dr. Alan L. Hart: The forgotten hero in the history of Tuberculosis screening

Medical journals left in hordes, files of patients that would never be consulted again, furniture and paintings that had just been installed, and a barren little medical clinic in Gardinier, Oregon, left without a practitioner, who had only occupied it…

The transition from a rad tech to an application specialist

One morning, a lady arrived, with her fancy black leather suitcase, greeted us with a large smile, introducing herself as an applications specialist, coming from abroad to teach us how to make the most out of our new machine. Seeing her for the first time, I felt a desire to be…

CT Contrast Agents, Extravasation, and Treatment: Rad Tech Fundamentals

Patient care is the most important component of any CT examination. This includes communication with the patient, the procedures that are completed prior to starting an exam, during the exam and finally following the CT examination…

What is the Rad Tech salary range in the US by state and modality?

Whether you are a prospective student looking to the world of radiologic technology to enter the world of healthcare rather quickly, or a seasoned tech making sure you’re getting paid your worth, it’s always good to check…

Basic principles in trauma radiography

Improvisation, on the radiographer’s part, is a large component of trauma radiography. The need to know the theory involved in the procedures you perform is essential and the ability to critically think your way through the procedures and make…

The touching story of a young cancer patient and a rad tech hero

One day in 2014, a 4-year-old child came into the radiation department for an abdominal tumor treatment. She, like every other youngster – and even most adults – was scared. We had to prepare her mentally and emotionally for the procedure.

What the Recent MRI Disaster Teaches Us About the Importance of MRI Safety Education

Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a powerful tool allowing healthcare professionals to peer into the human body without the risks of ionizing radiation like in the case of the scanner or X-ray. However, with this great power comes great risk of misuse.

The Last Fraction: straddling the lines of friend, caretaker and rad tech

It was a normal day in the radiotherapy center, the patients were awaiting their treatments as others were being prepared. The daily QA was done and we were ready to start effecting treatments. I was preparing my first patient and…

The Underrepresented Role of Rad Techs in Medical TV

Medical TV has never been known for its precision nor its commitment to realistic medical procedures. Rather, it presents an enticing fantasy in which doctors are faced with the rarest diseases, and can solve them satisfyingly…

Infection Prevention and Control Measures for COVID-19

In December 2019, a cluster of patients with pneumonia associated with a novel coronaviruses were registered in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China. This virus was officially named by the World Health Organization…

The Role of Chest Radiography in the Diagnosis of COVID

Chest radiography (CXR) is a widely available baseline radiological modality in evaluating symptomatic patients with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19. Serial changes can help in monitoring the patients…

MR-Linac: Advances in Radiation Therapy

It is critical for RTTs to keep up with advances in technology in the field in order to provide the best quality care to patients. In this article, we introduce the MR-linac, a powerful tool that has allowed for unprecedented…

Portable CT Scanner: An Overview for RTs

CT scanner technology has evolved so much, not only does it allow for higher-quality multi-functional imaging and easier transport to the patient’s point of care, but these days, mobile healthcare units even offer…

Virtual and Augmented Reality in Medical Imaging

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), which are commercially accessible for the entertainment and gaming industries (and quite fun!), are coming to medicine, and to medical imaging and radiology…

Helping to Detect Breast Cancer with Artificial Intelligence

Digital mammography is currently the standard modality for early breast cancer detection, but as with every screening tool, it has its limitations. In an effort to reduce and overcome those limitations. In an effort to reduce and…

Rad Techs in Lebanon Face Unprecedented Crises

RTs struggle to keep themselves going and to provide patient care as Lebanon’s fuel, electricity, and economic crises throw the country and its hospitals into darkness. We are aware that all healthcare staff are affected…

Dedicated CT Imaging of the Breast

This article is part of our series on computed tomography (CT). Here, we address breast anatomy, physiology, and pathologies, as well as the history of dedicated breast CT imaging systems. This article also includes an overview of…

Radiologic Technologists: The Most Important Health Care Professionals You’ve Never Heard Of

Radiologic technologists: they are the third largest group of healthcare professionals in the nation, and you’ve probably never even heard of them. Maybe you’ve met one before when you broke your arm or when you went for…

Low-Dose Radiation Therapy: A New COVID-19 Treatment

This article is part of our series on radiation therapy. It describes an experimental treatment for COVID-19 that uses low-dose radiation techniques, discusses the possibility of treating patients with lung inflammation…

Coping with Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Suggestions for Rad Techs

The United States has rung in the new year with surging numbers of coronavirus cases. Hospitals in many states, particularly in the West and South, are overwhelmed by patients in need. The situation is dire and worsening…

Low Attendance at RSNA 2020 Virtual Conference: Losses for RSNA and the Field of Radiology?

On November 29, 2020, the 106th annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) kicked off—in cyberspace. Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the RSNA canceled its in-person annual…

Radiologic technologists: Guarding the Frontlines during COVID-19

There’s a line of patients waiting for you, and it’s not certain if one, some, or all are infected with COVID-19. But it is suspected that they have it. That’s why they’ve been sent to you. You have to touch them, position their bodies…

What It Means to Be a Mammography Technologist during the COVID-19 Pandemic

When you think about the medical professionals at high risk of contracting COVID-19, mammography technologists probably don’t come readily to mind, if they come to mind at all. . You probably think of doctors…

ARRT® Guidance & COVID-19: Important Updates For RTs

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists® (ARRT®) is keeping a close watch on the situation to take measures that would reduce the impact on its community of radiologic…