Comments on: Nurses Reaction to Contrast Injection Disappointing

By: William

William — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 23:56:37 +0000

If it makes you feel any better, just this week a Radiologist came up to me and asked about this. He said “Its about time.” The Radiologists have always been in our camp about this. As he said, if there was a reacton, both the nurse and the tech. would do the same thing; call a radiologist.

By: Paulette

Paulette — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 00:48:15 +0000

Good for him or her. I don’t know what it will take to earn the respect of the nurses, however,it is time we get it..

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 15:21:40 +0000

However it is also relatively new that contrast is considered a medication and needs to be treated as such. In this regard, who will do the patient assessment prior to the injection of the “medication”? We need to work with nursing in this regard.

By: Paulette

Paulette — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 15:35:12 +0000

That’s true Steve, but it seems to me they have a farther way to come than we do,I don’t like that we have to earn their respect, they don’t seem to think we are “qualified” (subtitled capable). I’ll match our education and competency testing in contrast injection over theirs any day, and that includes assessment and the recognition of reactions.

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 19:02:10 +0000

Yes Paulette, but we cannot match our education on assessment against an RN’s. I’m pretty sure that would be considered outside our scope in reference to medication administration and that now includes contrast.

By: William

William — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 16:37:49 +0000

I tell you absolutely that as far as NY State is concerned, assessment is beyond our scope. During our discussions with the nurses and the legislators it was always expected that the assessment would be done by a “practitioner” prior to the technologist administering the contrast.

By: Ann T. Ver

Ann T. Ver — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 04:38:22 +0000

Well now…if the nurses really studied contrast material they would know that it is not a true allergy, although we treat as if it were anaphylaxis. True allergies are when people will always have the same reaction each time they are exposed to the irritant. But with contrast this is not true (we just premedicate prior allergies to avoid legal implications and the possibility of a repeat reaction). Nurses do not even study contrast…they only study how to treat a reaction…we can follow standing orders the same as any RT and probably better - because of our exposure to these types of reactions…we are ready for them…we know what to look for and when to go into high gear.

By: Ann T Ver

Ann T Ver — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 04:41:01 +0000

Steve,
The ASRT has a position statement on Venipuncture, administration of contrast AND MEDICATION. It IS considered within our scope by the ASRT…to administer medicaiton relative to contrast matrial administration with appropriate education etc. etc.