My name's Kathy Hart and I'm Atlantis' imaging superintendent and reporting radiographer.
Atlantis Imaging department consist of:
Room/Equipment wise - 1 CT scanner (64 slice), 2 General x-ray rooms, 1 portable machine, 1 ultrasound room, 1 fast scanner, 2 C-arm (used in theatre), staff/viewing room and the reporting office, stock room. CT, general and ultrasound all share a waiting room.
Radiographer wise: Alex, Ben (consultant radiologist), Caleb (CT lead), Chloe (sonographer), Connie, Greg, Islay (reporter), Isolde, Jules (Ultrasound lead), myself, Neil (sonographer), Rachel.
People refer to us as 'the Brits' because we're all from the UK and were part of the original expedition (apart from Alex who arrived 2 years ago). Generally we're in our late 20's to early 30's with the exemption of Alex (25), Jules (40) and Neil (42). Because ours is a small world we all knew or knew of each other before coming to Atlantis with Neil and Jules Munro knowing Carson.
There is always a minimum of 3 radiographers, 1 reporter and 1 sonographer working during the day and 1 sonographer, 1 radiographer on call at night. Night reports usually get left for the morning me or Islay in the morning.
I hate doing chest x-rays on the military personal for one reason – Dog Tags.
"Kirby they need to come off".
"Not going to happen" I'd lost count how many times I'd had this conversation.
"Fine then we're all done here".
"What".
"I'm not x-raying you with them on" I reply pointing at the artefact poster on the wall as I leave. I'd created it from the first military chest x-ray I took here – with dog tags still on.
"Can I hold them" he asked giving me the desired and predicted result.
"Yes".
One thing radiographers have to be good at is telling doctors 'No' especially when they don't follow protocol.
"Why did you send Saunders back" a fuming doctor snapped storming into my office.
"No immobilisation" I reply not taking looking up from the image I'm reporting.
"Excuse me" the American sounded surprised.
"A queried C spine fracture needs to be collared and blocked".
I watch as he storms out "and if Blake and his suspected hip fracture isn't on a trolley, he'll be next" I yell as a parting shot. Doctor's are immensely frustrating always making things harder than they need to be.
The sound of my computer pinging alerted me to an incoming request scooting over I looked at it. Every department has its frequent flyers and this was for my annoying one. Moving on to read the request I'm delighted to find it's not justified.
"This request's not justified" I inform Doctor Cole with some pleasure.
"What why" she asks surprised at my presence.
"Because we don't x-ray Calcaneum's for bony spurs" I reply crossing my arms.
"But" McKay predictably had something to say.
"It won't change your treatment therefore under IR(ME)R 2000 I'm not justified in irradiating you". I knew from experience throwing regulations at him usually got him to shut up...for a while.
"What's it this time" I ask seeing Sheppard my favourite frequent flyer sat in the waiting room.
"Training the marines" he replied cockily.
"I'm going to name the room after you" I joke "give me a moment to check the request and set up".
"Take your time I'm not going anywhere" while he takes pleasure in misbehaving in the infirmary he's always an angel in my domain.
Positioning his swollen ankle must have been extremely painful but he didn't show it.
"You got much paperwork to do" I ask looking at his x-ray.
"I haven't" he said asking me whether he'd fractured it.
"Afraid so, it's a clean break though. Tell Keller the images are up and the report will follow within the hour".
I've always hated Friday nights because the drink related injuries and Atlantis is no different.
"What is it" I ask Carson tonight's on call medic.
"Hand, are those your pyjama's" he counters handing me a coffee.
"It's the middle of the night" I reply taking the offered cup "you know I won't be able to get back to sleep if I drink this".
"The way tonight's going I doubt you'll get the chance lass".
"Right so what happened".
"Looks like a boxer's fracture".
"How drunk are they".
"Tipsy".
"The matching face arrived yet" I ask as I head for the control room.
"Not yet".
Every week there's always at least one idiot who has a few too many and ends up doing something stupid - usually punching their department head. Then you get the really inebriated ones who attempt to take on inanimate objects or Ronan.
"We don't have a MR scanner" I cut off the new doctor's inevitable question before it's been asked as I gave them a tour of my department.
"Why".
"When most of our patients have metal of some kind in them it's not really worth it".
I remember back to my students days go through the MRI safety questionnaires and one of the questions being 'have you ever received a bullet or shrapnel injury'. Then you start thinking about metal implants and replacements and things get troublesome.
"So what happens if they need a MRI scan".
"Either you use the Ancient scanner or send them to the SGC who'll arrange it".
"You got a minute" my husband Caleb asked sticking his head round my office.
Radiographers have a tendency to marry radiographers and we were no exception. Training at Canterbury Christ Church together we were the youngest in our cohort so naturally bonded in halls.
"If it's a hot report stick it on the pile" I said indicating the pile of red slips on my desk.
"I need a hand with a major trauma eta five minutes but first I need to find our pat slide, any ideas".
"Try triage they tend to forget their equipment is red and ours is yellow".
We had to introduce different coloured equipment for each department because things never got returned.
"Whose on call tonight" Ben asked settling in at his desk opposite mine.
"Me and pass on the medic, why".
"Pacs upgrade" he said gesturing at the wall planner.
"Frigging crap on a crapstick" one of the slightly less colourful marine flavoured curses I'd picked up since arriving here. Pushing my chair back I head round to the infirmary to see who else had drawn the short straw.
"What can I do for you Lass" Carson asked appearing from nowhere.
"Who's your on call tonight"
"Jennifer".
"Great" I said at last some good news "will you let her know pac's will be down".
Pac's or Picture archiving and communication system is the software used to review images. Every six months we take it off line overnight for an upgrade. The 'downtime' is a nuisance as it means medics have to come to the room the image had been taken to view it. Hence why I was glad it wasn't one of the stroppy doctors working.
Sod's law dictates that these are the nights that everyone decides to have accidents and/or fights.
"I want to speak to the organ grinder not the monkey" the Apollo doctor demanded despite only just beaming down.
"Kathy Hart, imaging superintendent" I announced breaking aware from AR1 who'd accompanied Rodney round again.
"It's a bit late for April fool's love" he said looking round for presumably an older radiographer.
The thing with British radiographer's is that a lot of us enter training as mature students usually after having children with a handful like me and Caleb coming straight from college at 18. That means that age doesn't always equate to experience which can be a confusing concept even for radiography students.
"Show some respect or get out" John ordered as he and Ronan moved to flank me.
Alex who'd originally been speaking to the doctor by this time had disappeared no doubt to cool off. We pride ourselves on treating everyone the same despite rank or profession meaning we tend to get bleeped off when people don't show us the same courtesy.
"I need a signature for this" Lieutenant Mason announced appearing in my doorway with a rectangular package that had just arrived with Daedalus' latest deliveries.
"About time they arrived" I said leaning over to sign where he indicated.
"What is it" he asked taking back his clipboard.
"New film badges" I said knowing straight away from the 'DO NOT X-RAY' warning sticker.
By law anyone working with ionising radiation is required to wear a dosimeter which measures our radiation dose. Every three months their changed with the old ones being sent of for checking.
Opening my email i began tying the usual announcement to the medical staff. 'Time for a change. New dose badge's can be found in the usual place in the staff room. Please remember to leave old ones'.
The doctor's will try and tell you we use electronic ordering to safe tree's. The truth is it's so we don't have to try and decipher their chicken scrawl that passes as handwriting.
Glancing at my next request I sighed 'Fell on outstreatched hand, herd crak. Now woollen and painfull ++ with frank haematuria'.
Instead we have to contend with spelling mistakes and typo's. What the doctor was trying to say was "Fell on outstretched hand, heard crack. Now swollen and painful ++ with bad bruising'.
Frank haematuria is blood in the urine - which should be a ultrasound request.
Thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed it.
Don't forget to leave a review. Especially if you'd like a sequel.