Hira Hammad

I was serving in GOVT. Lady Aitchison hospital, Lahore under the umbrella of Primary and Secondary Healthcare department Government of Punjab, as a (BPS-17) grade officer as Radiographer Medical Imaging technologist (Sonographer) in Radiology department.

Shift = Morning + Evening                                               Duty Hours = 48 (8 hours per day)

Duty Days = Monday to Saturday (Sunday off) – Six days a week.

I work in different below mentioned modalities which are mentioned below:

1-Mammography:

During my job I work independently in mammography section in Radiology department where I was handling daily patients on latest state or the art mammography machine. 

1.1 Welcome patient & patient history

Patient age, age of menopause, last mammogram if any, patient signature, family history of breast cancer, history of birth control pills, any breast implants/surgery /biopsy clinical , history of breast cancer.

1.2 Screening: Screening of patient above 40 years of age.

1.3 Clinical Examination:

Pain in breast, any lump in breast examination, nipple thinking / discharge, patient whose breast have change shape and size, screening patients above 40 years.

1.4 Patient preparation:

Explaining procedure to patient and basic patient preparation. Taking best possible position for both breast and taking mammogram, saving & printing images for radiologist to review and prepare final report for patient.

1.5 Breast Ultrasound

for co-relation, taking best possible images for lump and ant other pathology and their accurate position and give final mammograms and ultrasound images for final reporting.

2- Hysterosalpingography

2.1 Patient history 

Age, LMP, marital history, any previous pelvic scans or surgery for infertility. History of recurrent miscarriage, women pelvic pain, any congenital anomalies of uterus, primary infertility, secondary infertility, uterine fibroids etc.

2.2 Patient Preparation: Asking patient to come between day 5 and day 10 from the start of her periods. Explaining patient about procedure that she will feel some cramping specially when the die is injected and prepare her to take pain medicine prescribed by the concerned gynecologist 30 to 60 mins before the procedure.

2.3 Procedure:

During HSG recording the best possible images of the uterine cavity and fallopian tubes when they are filled with special dye. Providing the prints to concern radiologist for reporting.

3- Ultrasound

Overview: Clinical Examination

As I was working in OBs & Gynae Hospital 80% of the patient were of OBs & Gynae. Mostly there first (1st) second (2nd) and Third (3rd) trimester scans, other patients were of pelvic pathologies i-e Pelvic pains, irregular bleeding or some post operative patients and also patients with abdominal pathologies / scans and neonatal scans and breast ultrasound.

3.1 Routine Patients Scans on Average :

On Average I used to do Thirty to forty (30-40) scans in OPD and fifty to sixty (50-60) scans in Emergency.

3.2 Welcome patient & patient history

It’s very important to greet patient and talk about the history. During a good conversation told the whole procedure to make the patient satisfied and comfortable during the scan/ procedure for optimum result with full co-operation of the patient.

Patient preparation: For Pelvic Scan = patient should drink minimum of 20 ounces of water for preparation or come with full bladder for pelvic / early pregnancy scans.

3.3 History for pelvic scan:  Pelvic pain, irregular periods, menorrhagia, dysmenorrhea, oligomenorrhea, polymenorrhea, previous pelvic surgery, Infertility etc.

TVS and Transabdominal scans were done for the diagnosis of any pathology and taking appropriate printout.Placing the transducers in correct position to locate any pathology (fibroids, polyps, ovarian cyst (simple / complex), any adnexal cyst or mass). Measurement of any cyst or mass or any fibroids, follicular tracing scans taking measurement of follicles for infertility scan. In early pregnancy TVS also done.

Achievement: Emergency Department & Corona Virus Pandemic Duties.

1-Performed various consultant scans during corona pandemic days such as neonatal scans in which most difficult was to determine ambiguous gene Talia. While in my pregnancy in Corona duties.

3-Performed various scans in labor room for patients specially in eclampsia condition.

4-I have dealt with biomedical engineers and gave them briefings about machine quality assurance and timely intimation of fault if we faced in any part of machine to ensure best scan quality.

5.I have worked on 3D & 4D and on gray scale machines.

6-I have done correlation breast scans of patients who undergone mammography.

7-I have ruled out various ectopic and molar pregnancies successfully.

8-I have maintained patient data along with images and picked out complex cases for display.

9-I have also did manual and computerized reporting while performing scans.

10- I used to perform extra cover duty every Friday.

I was doing all scans collectively Opd and emergency and also gave DMS cover various times.