October 2007 | MH Web Exclusive
Personal Standards
When it comes to patient care, you don't settle for less than the best, so why accept subpar treatment for yourself? by Mary Kost, BSDH, BSED
I’d been fasting for lipid panel tests. The doctor was running two hours late for a delivery. My blood sugar rates were low and my hands were getting shaky. I was agitated. I was, in particular, agitated with the mammogram technician in front of me who didn’t seem to now how to assemble the various parts of the machine she was using. This was my first mammogram and, deep down, I was nervous.
A week after my mammogram, just three days before Christmas, I received a call from their office: “We need to have you back again for a magnification of a radiopaque area we see on your left breast.” My mind, which had been racing with thoughts of stocking stuffers for the kids, came to a complete halt. They see something? Just 30 seconds ago I was an acquaintance of a woman with a lesion to biopsy. A close friend of a woman diagnosed with breast cancer. Family to a woman with “fibrocystic concerns.” All of a sudden, however, this wasn’t about someone else. It was about me.
In the midst of running through a variety of mental scenarios, my husband, thankfully, offered some sound advice. He was aware of new technology in mammography and suggested that I have my second scan peformed on one of the digital machines.
Going digital outside the op
At conferences and CE meetings, as well as in dental and dental hygiene magazines, we hear a lot about digital radiography and its possibilities for completely transforming a patient's X-ray experience. Often, however, we don’t give a second thought to the way similar technologies can impact our personal health. For example, full-field digital mammography (FFMD) plays a crucial role in the
To my fellow hygienists...
✽ Get a baseline mammogram! It is wise to establish whatever is “normal,” and is helpful for future comparisons. Consider an MRI, if needed, for further diagnostic testing.
✽ Be diligent about monthly breast cancer self examinations. They are a critical aid in early detection.
✽ Ask your facility what type of mammography units they use. For some, this new technology may be a lifesaver!
✽ In our profession, any measure that offers reduced radiation levels is well worth it consideration given our accumulative exposure over the course of a career. |
detection of breast cancer today. Newer, digital technologies—versus the analog screen/film technology —provide faster images which increase patient comfort, often require fewer retakes, and offer better dose efficiency, so that a lower amount of radiation can be utilized. These new machines supply a more accurate and comprehensive view of dense breast tissue, and can aid in detecting incipient lesions.
Much like the debate in dental, analog (or traditional X-ray films) are still helpful, but innovation in design has enabled faster, more efficient exams, thus requiring fewer retakes. This can be especially important for hygienists who are exposed to greater amounts of radiation in the workplace. Digital mammography ensures repeatable, reproducible, and consistent images, as there is no chemical processing of films. FFMD specifically allows a larger field of view to define and detect possible lesions on a broadened area.
There’s a lot to be said for how the increased speed of the procedure beneftist the patient and the physician. Images can be immediately displayed and reviewed in seconds, which avoids the wait experienced with traditional films. The information can now be gathered in a format that is easily compared, electronically shared, and transmitted to other physicians who may need the information.
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