Chest X-Ray and Vital Signs - Essay Example

"Chest X-Ray and Vital Signs" is a delightful example of a paper on radiology.
Radiologists need the full cooperation of the radiographers to obtain relevant information about the medical history of patients (Ehrlich & Daly, 2008, p. 196). In our case, the patient is a missionary’s wife who is diagnosed with a fever of unknown reason and respiratory problem. The patient has been sent for chest radiography because the diagnosed respiratory problem is likely to be linked with fever. “An important purpose of the chest x-ray is to examine the lungs” (Kedrek, n.d.). Respiratory problems, such as shortness of breath and cough are the indications of chest infection and that is the reason behind sending the patient for chest radiography.

Being a radiographer, I will use some specific guidelines to take the medical history of the patient. First, I will introduce myself to the patient in order to Mrs. Morgan in order to make me know who I am and for which purpose I am talking to her. I will also call her by her name because it will make her feel good. It will also help me gain her confidence, which will ultimately help me obtain the required information from her. History guidelines also suggest radiographers make use of some specific questioning techniques. Therefore, the techniques, which I will use to collect information, include open-ended questions along with the use of some direct and closed questions, being silent after putting up a question to make the patient think and organize answers, listening carefully towards the patient, clarifying the questions, probing the patient’s responses, and summarization. The history guidelines also suggest a radiographer exhibit good behavior to make the patient feel more friendly and safe. These were the history guidelines, which I will use to obtain relevant information for the radiologist.

I personally do not consider it important to monitor Larry’s vital signs. The reason is that Larry is not in a normal condition and is affected by anxiety and pain, which have the tendency to affect normal readings. In the condition of shock or anxiety, the calculations of vital signs do not provide accurate data because the readings are affected by abnormal feelings. “Vital signs, under non-emergency conditions, are checked when the patient is sitting down and relaxed” (Keeffe, n.d.). Vital signs involve the measurements of a person’s blood pressure, temperature, and respiratory and pulse rates (Ehrlich & Daly, 2008, p. 201).

Calculation of body temperature helps radiographers know the current metabolic state of the body. When a person is in a state of anxiety, the temperature readings are likely to go high as compared to the temperature readings of a person in normal condition. Similarly, the pulse rate will show the state of Tachycardia in which the pulse rate becomes greater than the range of normal pulse rates, which is from 60 to 100 BPM. Another element of vital signs is the respiratory rate, which should be between 12 to 20 breaths per minute but in the case of Larry, the respiratory rate will be more than 20 breaths per minute because, in the condition of anxiety, the calculations of respiratory rate and pulse rate show a great increase. Therefore, it is not necessary to monitor vital signs Larry because, in the condition of shock or anxiety, no reading falls within the range of normal readings, which is an understood fact.