Importance of radio technologists discussed at PGI meet

LUCKNOW: Gallbladder cancer, where the disease spreads to the liver isn’t curable but radiological intervention technique called percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) is proving effective in providing relief in last days of a patients’ life.

Radio technologists have an important role to play in this technique, said experts at the fourth tech aspire master class organised by the radiology department of the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) on Sunday.

The CME was organised to upgrade knowledge of technologists who have to perform tricky tests and imaging.

Professor Rajnikant and technologist Devashhish Chakravorti said, “the patient’s serum creatinine, blood clotting time, complete details of the patient are prepared by the technologist in advance.”

In gall bladder cancer, the disease, on occasions, spreads to the liver, they said. “This leads to jaundice as the hepatic duct closes down. There is loss of appetite, itching in the body, fever, and pain. Through PTBT, ultrasound and doppler test are done together to open the bile duct and blood vessels,” they added.

“The guide wire is inserted into the bile duct (as seen on ultrasound) and bile is expelled through catheter after inflating the bile duct with a dilator. After the jaundice subsides, stents are put in the bile duct, due to which the bile goes to the small intestine. The catheter is then removed,” they explained.

After reducing this problem, the patient is sent for radiotherapy.

This reduces the discomfort of the patient and increases life span, the experts noted.

Professor Archana Gupta said, “Technologists have an important role in diagnosis of disease through radio imaging. If the image is good, then the radiologist will be able to give a perfect report and the disease will be detected properly.”

Special precautions should be taken while doing CT scan or ultrasound on pregnant women, said professor Gupta.

“If a woman is four months pregnant, the technologist has to take special care. The patient’s abdomen has to be covered fully so that the radiation does not affect the fetus,” she said and added that the role of technologists is crucial in ensuring safety of the fetus and mother during ultra sound and scanning.

Technologist Saroj Verma, the event organiser, said more than 250 technologists from Nepal, Bihar, Jharkhand and other states participated in the programme.