Hi Don,
I learned many years ago to scan from the head.  However, over the years I
got tired of rearranging the room for carotid exams (not to mention
portables).  I have been scanning from the side for over 13 years.
Ergonomically neither is ideal.  However, with newer light weight xducer
cables and keyboards that raise and lower along with beds and chairs that
raise and lower you are not any worse off.  That is providing that you sit
correctly and position the patient properly etc. We are actually ordering
scanning chairs that have a movable arm rest that will swing out to provide
support at the elbow.  Most of our complaints of shoulder pain/strain comes
from doing abdominal Duplex exams.

Bonnie L. Johnson, RDMS, RVT
UCSF Stanford Health Care
Director, Vascular Laboratory Services
Division of Vascular Surgery
Stanford, CA


-----Original Message-----
From: UVM Flownet [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Don
Ridgway
Sent: Sunday, September 12, 1999 10:07 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Scanning positions


Dear Flownetters-

Well, this has already been fun. I'll post a tally after a couple of days.

By the way, we do lots of portables, and then of course anything goes.
Squeezing into an ICU room, with eight or nine IVacs and a vent and maybe a
balloon pump, you sort of feel like you're in a serious game of Twister.

Thanks for the responses.

Don Ridgway