We all know that stones in the gallbladder or bile ducts are a cause of right upper quadrant (RUQ) abdominal pain. But did you know that there is another, just as common, cause of pain in that area that ultrasound can easily detect?

Yup, I’m talking about Adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder.

How much do you really know about this disease? Improve your knowledge and scanning skills by reading more.

 Teaching ultrasound in the ultrasound workplace can be one of the best experiences you ever have as an ultrasound tech. It can help you to become a better tech, renew your enthusiasm and interest in the field by seeing it through a student’s eyes and lets you practice consistency and positivity.  

So now that we know more about Endometriosis - how many women it affects, what it's symptoms and signs are and how long it takes to accurately diagnose - let's see what we sonographers can do to help out. 

There are so many other signs of Endometriosis that can be looked for in the female pelvis and you can start with the next pelvic assessment you do! Plus links to some great YouTube videos for visuals on what these lesser-known signs are and where to find them.

Endometriosis is a complex condition that affects many women and makes for a tricky ultrasound assessment. What we're taught about it in school barely touches on the subject and I was shocked to learn how much more we could be doing to assess for endometriosis during female pelvic scans. 

Join me to learn about another way to be a more awesome sonographer than ever before, with this 2 part article on what we didn't know about endometriosis.

To be heard – that’s it.

Listening is a form of kindness, and not one that every person gets to experience in their day. To acknowledge that you hear and understand a person shows consideration of their fears and feelings.

It is a skill, like any other, that takes practice to master. But once you integrate it into your daily routine you’ll find that it makes many things so much easier.

Patients that feel heard are less resistant to instruction and are more agreeable. They are more relaxed during a scan and have fewer questions to interrupt you with.

It’s a rewarding experience for both the tech and the patient to feel heard and understood.

Listening, like anything else, is a skill that gets better with practice. These are the practices that I use to keep my listening skills sharp each day. 

Every year there’s always a few really ticklish patients that struggle to get through their ultrasounds. They squirm, they huff, they squeeze their eyes shut really tight and they tense up every muscle in their body. It’s alarming to a tech doing an ultrasound. And its a difficult exam to complete. You worry about hurting your patient and their involuntary movements or laughter make it difficult to find clear windows for imaging.

Recently I learned two great tricks that make working with a ticklish patient much easier from a massage therapist friend. I liked them so much that I had to share.  

I often feel that the cervix doesn't get the attention that it deserves. Sure, it's part of the uterus and we do pay a lot of attention to the uterus, but sometimes it seems that the cervix can get overlooked in the search for fibroids and endometrial thickness.
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However, cervical pathology exists and has a stand-alone right to recognition. Not to mention, when you find cervical pathology it makes you look like a superstar ultrasound tech! So here's how I suggest we recognise the cervix.