Neurosonology—Who Should Perform the Study?

Abstract

Neurosonology is a rapidly growing field of imaging which demands a highly skilled imaging professional. Sonographers are imagers trained to produce sonographic images of one or more of the following specialty areas: abdomen, obstetrics/ gynecology, adult echocardiography, pediatric echocardiography, opthalmology, vascular technology, and neurosonology. There are short and long term training programs for sonographers which vary in scope and the number of specialty areas offered. Some sonographers do not receive formal training and learn OTJ (on-the-job). Any training program in neurosonology should encompass anatomy, basic pathology, sonographic appearance of normal and abnormal structures, and physics/instrumentation. There is presently a sonographer shortage due to the rapid increase in sonographer positions nationwide. It is therefore beneficial to the neurosonology department to allow ample time to recruit and/or train a sonographer. The Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, and the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine are valuable resources in providing information on training opportunities and recruitment strategies for sonographers. (J Child Neurol 1989;4:S5-S7).