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181982937-Clark-s-Pocket-Handbook-For-Radiographers-pdf (1)

Radiography Diagnostic Medical Human

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Assessment of Trauma

GUIDELINES FOR THE ASSESSMENT

OF TRAUMA

Background

Radiographers are well placed to offer opinions on trauma plain

radiographic images and can assist the referring clinician with

identification of fractures, dislocations and associated ‘signs’, such as

fluid levels. In the UK the practice of ‘red-dotting’ is well established

and involves the radiographer placing a red dot or similar marker on the

image to indicate the presence of an abnormality.

Developments in the Role of the Radiographer

In the UK, the basic system of placing a red dot has developed into a

three-tier system of radiographer opinion:

1 Red dot – a basic system of flagging a possible abnormality, such as

a fracture.

2 Comment system – the radiographer attaches a simple comment to

the image to explain their concern.

3 Clinical report – trained radiographers produce a detailed report,

usually some time after the examination, that is sent to the

referring clinician.

Most radiographers, especially newly qualified practitioners will be

working to develop their skills on the ‘red-dot’ and ‘commenting’ systems.

Suggestions for Successful Image Interpretation

1 Gain an oral clinical history – Obtaining a clinical history from the

patient can be especially helpful for the radiographer to produce

the correct projections required to demonstrate the injury and a

greater understanding of the area to check for injury. Modern

Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) also allow

the radiographer to convey any relevant clinical history to the

person providing the final radiological report.

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