4-2.
FORM
a. Catalyst for Actions Within the Radiology Department. All actions in the
radiology department begin with the Standard Form (SF) 519-B, The Radiological
Consultation Request/Report form (figure 4-1). The SF 519-B, commonly referred to as
the X-ray request slip, is the basic working document of the X-ray department. It is the
catalyst for all subsequent actions within the department. Without the SF 519-B, the
activity of the radiology department comes to a screeching halt. You cannot and should
not proceed with any exposure without it. The initiation of the SF 519-B by a medical
officer and its subsequent journey through the radiology department sets off the cycle of
actions that makes it possible for you to take the exposure (figure 4-2).
b. Ascertaining the Completeness and Accuracy of the SF 519-B. It is not
enough to ensure that the patient has come to the radiology department with an SF
519-B in hand. You must also take the time to verily that the form has been properly
filled out. You cannot take X-rays of a patient until you have determined that you have
all the information that you need and that all of the information is consistent. (In the
anecdote cited on the preceding page, an RT's failure to note the absence of a brief
patient history led to a breach of duty, patient injury, a malpractice suit against the
hospital, and a consequent blight on the radiographer's record that will take some time
to live down.)
c. Checking for Required Entries on the SF 519-B. Although local policy may
vary, the entries shown in figure 4-3 are generally required. (Note that the middle
section, starting with the date of examination and down to the radiologic report, are
blank at this point. The radiologist will only be able to make his report after the X-rays
have been taken.) Should you discover that the X-ray request is in any way incomplete,
you will have to send the patient back to the referring physician unless there are simple
gaps that you can easily rectify yourself, such as a missing first name and middle initial.
But, for other, more serious, discrepancies the request slip will have to go back to its
originator for correction.
MD0961
4-3