Why can't ultrasound tech's tell you that you are pregnant?

[Anonymous]

i been knew I was pregnant since last month but I am never able to find out I'm pregnant by urine and blood it has always been ultrasound. today I went in for an ultrasound test for pregnancy and she couldn't tell me anything. she was silent...my doctor didn't request a vaginal ultrasound so that made me already knew why she was doing that. I had to sit down and think about it. she couldn't even ask me questions about if I was pregnant or anything. her response stayed to "talk to your doctor". the utlrasound took less than 8 minutes that was the fastest ultrasound I ever been in . I'm between 11-13 weeks in pregnancy but that's my estimate. my doctor only ordered a adominal ultrasound not vaginal also. if there are strict rules for telling the patient she didn't break any lol I'm use to ultrasound techs telling you that you are pregnant. I found out I am indeed pregnant..my second child

[Red_Arrow]

It may sound strange, but the techs (xray, usltrasound, etc) have to know enough about what they are doing to tell what is normal, what is abnormal, and what is questionable. that is so they can adjust the equipment, views, recordings and anything else that needs adjustment so that the doctor that will read the results will have everything needed without ordering another test. So basically the tech must know everything that is showing up in the scan. But they can't discuss it with you because that would be diagnosing you, which would be practicing medicine without a license.

Same as for nurses. RNs in a hospital spend much more time with the patients and read the charts more often since they have to medicate according to them and charting in them. Often the nurses catch mistakes made by the doctor, especially in drug prescriptions. But he nurses can't discuss things with you unless they fall in their area of concern, such as monitoring urine output, getting you exercise, etc.

Don't blame the techs; they are following the rules.

[WaitingAtTheDoor]

It's a rule that comes out of risk management/liability reform in the medical industry.

It would be nice to allow them to do it, but there have been instances of U/S Tech's getting it wrong and telling people they were pregnant when it was really something else.

Now all liability policies that doctors have to hold in order to practice requires that all patient determinations be made by them, not the technical staff.

The theory is that the liability policy doesn't cover the staff, only the doctor. Therefore if staff does something the doctor is suppose to do, and is allowed access to the patient by doctor's order, that means the patient can sue the doctor for untold amounts of money.

See the dilemma?

[visualdeception]

She's not a doctor. It's like an x-ray technician, or any type of medical technician. They do the tests, and the doctor analyzes the results to make a diagnosis. They aren't qualified to diagnose anything.

[Courtsrad09]

theyre just not allowed. its just one of the rules I guess.