X-ray Basics by Jonathan Vielma

Urgent care facilities experience a high number of health-related cases requiring immediate attention at a moment’s notice.  As a radiologic technologist (also known as an X-ray technician, or X-ray tech) with a background in both urgent care and orthopedic settings, I have seen many injuries needing X-ray imaging to diagnose the bones.

Here are some simple signs to determine if an X-ray is needed to diagnose an injury:

• Bruising
• Swelling around the area of injury
• Painful palpitations
• Labored or painful breathing

Steps leading toward a proper diagnosis are as follows:

Details
Behind every injury, there is a story.  Diagnosing every case starts simply with a question: “What happened?”  A detailed description to the doctor illustrating what happened prior to the onset of injury can often lead to a more accurate diagnosis and proper treatment plan.

Evaluation
With their extensive medical training and comprehensive knowledge, only a doctor is qualified to order an X-ray because they can correctly evaluate an injury.  Based on initial impressions involving pain, swelling, or bruising, the doctor can then decide whether or not an X-ray will, in fact, be necessary.

The X-ray
Once the doctor has ordered the X-ray for a patient, the X-ray tech will produce the accompanying views (number of images) related the film (location in the body).

Diagnosis
As with any visit to a medical practice, the patient will receive a diagnosis before being discharged. The doctor takes the completed X-ray, examines it, and then gives the patient a proper diagnosis.  If there are incongruent findings, a second opinion may be required from a specialist.  The doctor will then send the completed films to a radiologist, who will return their findings within a few days.

Many urgent care facilities are equipped with an on-site X-ray machine for patient convenience. Most facilities are staffed at all times with an X-ray technician who will perform quick and efficient films in the safest and quickest manner possible.