How to Choose the Right Imaging Table for Your Patients’ Needs

How to Choose the Right Imaging Table for Your Patients’ Needs

imaging table

In the medical field, you have to be careful with every decision you make. One wrong move could cause injury or illness to your patient.

Deciding on the right imaging table to buy is no exception. It involves consideration for the procedures that the tables are needed for, patient comfort, and safety. And they’re different from other surgical tables in a lot of ways.

This can make it difficult to decide on the right imaging table for your purposes. Your patients and employees are going to need to use this medical equipment every day. If the equipment isn’t safe or comfortable for your procedures, then this can cause problems for both staff and patients later. 

This can make that decision even harder. It can be stressful if you start to overthink it. And with all of the information online today about this, it can be easy to get confused.

So how do you choose the right imaging table for your needs? You need good advice and a distributor that can help you make the right decision. And there’s no reason why these should be difficult to find.

So read on to learn everything you need to know to pick the right imaging tables for your needs.

Purpose

The first thing you want to consider when purchasing an imaging table is what its purpose is. Each type of imaging equipment is going to have different needs to work well on your table.

Venous Studies

Veins are one of the most common parts of the body that get issues. The legs are the most notorious for having venous issues. This is especially true in older adults.

There can be serious issues with the circulatory system and mobility if venous issues in the legs aren’t handled quickly.

Therefore, it’s important that an imaging table for venous studies should have adjustable leg rests. This allows the examiner to raise and lower a patient’s legs to the right height to get a good image. That makes the patient more comfortable during the exam and gives the examiner a good angle to work from.

For those that need a venous study on their arms, the table should have arms that extend to the sides. This allows the examiner to sit next to the patient with their arm across their lap during the exam. 

For an examiner, this is the best angle to study the veins in a patient’s arm. For the patient, this lets them stretch out in a way that’s comfortable as the chair supports the arm from below.

An adjustable back can also be useful for a patient that needs both their arms and legs examined at the same time. This allows the examiner to adjust the patient as needed to perform both studies.

Endovaginal

An endovaginal exam is also going to need very specific equipment. It’s easiest to perform these exams with the legs hanging off of the table and spread apart. But this isn’t necessarily a comfortable position to be in for the length of an exam.

So to keep patients comfortable, it’s best to have retractable stirrups on the table. This gives patients a place to rest their feet during the exam. It also ensures that they are in the best position for the examiner. 

By having the patient’s legs in the stirrups, there is less chance of the examiner getting kicked despite being positioned right between their legs. This keeps both patients and staff safe during the procedure.

Patients will also not have to worry about issues with blood flow in their legs due to having them over the side of a table. Examiners can take their time with the procedure knowing that there’s no risk of injuring the patient by extending it. And they can also continue with the peace of mind that they are perfectly safe performing the procedure too.

Ultrasounds and EKGS

These types of imaging scans are a lot simpler. For the most part, beds for these purposes can simply lay flat. 

They should be able to be raised and lowered, however. This makes it easier for patients to lay down and get comfortable no matter how tall the patient is. Then the examiner can raise or lower the bed again to give themselves easier access to the patient. 

This makes the procedure easier to perform overall. It also makes it easier for patients to get onto the imagining table for these procedures.

In many cases, patients with low mobility often have difficulty getting onto tall tables. So the ability for these imaging tables to raise and lower is important for these people to get the care they need.

And some technicians are going to be shorter than others. So it’s helpful if they can adjust the height of the imaging tables to accommodate this. 

These little adjustments might not seem like much, but they’re important to the comfort and safety of your patients. Not to mention that they can keep your staff from developing medical issues of their own over time from using uncomfortable equipment.

Comfort

Doctor’s offices tend to be uncomfortable places to be in. And having an invasive examination can just make things more stressful. Making sure your patients are comfortable is a hallmark of good medical care.

You should be considering this as well when buying motorized imaging tables.

Some patients might feel more comfortable if they can elevate their heads a little while on an imaging table. Other patients might feel more comfortable if they elevate or lower their legs. Having the ability to adjust the back or legs of the chair to their comfort level is a good way to achieve this. 

Showing your consideration for your patient’s comfort is a good way to go above and beyond what’s expected of a physician’s office. It will make your patients more relaxed during their visits with you.

This is something your patients will always remember. 

Medical Needs of the Patient

Some patients might have certain medical needs that need to be addressed by your imaging tables.

Think about the earlier example of patients with low mobility. It’s easier for them to get into lower beds so that they don’t have to lift themselves as much. But it’s also easier for them to start in a sitting position and then be reclined for their procedure too.

Having imaging tables that can lower to meet the needs of these patients is a good way to be inclusive in your medical care. This is something that both the patient and their loved ones will appreciate. If they have chronic issues that need to be addressed, then they’re sure to return to you because you chose accessible imaging tables.

Staff Safety

You also need to be considerate of your staff’s safety when choosing imaging tables. Your staff will constantly have to be using this equipment. If it isn’t comfortable for them to use, then this can lead to major health problems for them later. 

You’re mainly going to see problems with the back and feet of staff members who have been handling uncomfortable equipment for years. 

Taller employees are likely to get problems with their backs from leaning over patients to do these procedures. This means they’re putting unnecessary pressure on the bones and muscles in their backs every day. If they were able to adjust the imaging tables to a more comfortable height, then these issues can be avoided easily.

Similarly, those that are shorter will have to stand all day to perform these procedures. That means they are on their feet all day but aren’t moving them much. Some shorter staff members might even be standing on their toes to perform procedures.

This can lead to issues in the feet and legs such as varicose veins and planters fasciitis. Even if an employee wears proper footwear to help with these conditions, it can still lead to problems after doing this for long periods of time.

It’s best to get imaging tables that your staff members can adjust appropriately to their height for this reason. Your employees deserve to be taken care of in their workplace too. 

Get the Right Imaging Table For Your Practice Today

So getting the right imaging table for your practice is going to be important to your employees and patients. You have to consider that you’ll be dealing with disabled patients and patients with chronic pain. 

And the best place to get them is Infinium. We have a wide selection of surgical tables, imaging tables, and other medical tables. And we’re happy to help you find the right tables for your practice today!

So contact us today and let us help you make your patients and employees comfortable.

Share:

imaging table

Share:

More Equipment Topics

Buying a Vital Signs Monitor

5 Tips for Choosing the Right Vital Signs Monitor for Your Needs Many factors determine the successful running of your medical practice, and it is essential not to overlook the

Read More »

View Our Catalog

Stay up to date on innovative products from Infinium Medical.