Radiography Cases >> Ultrasound >> Case 1 / Case 2

Case 2

A 68-year-old male patient, Mr. Wong, has signed the consent form for a trans-rectal ultrasound scan (TRUSS) and ultrasound of the kidney, which was witnessed by his relatives. Trans-rectal ultrasound of the prostate is carried out to assess the size of the prostate gland, since benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and hydronephrosis were queried on the request form. Sonographer, Paul, was responsible for this case.

Mr. Wong entered the scanning room accompanied by his wife. During the scanning procedure, Mr. Wong felt some discomfort due to the trans-rectal transducer and did not cooperate fully, which made it difficult for Paul to undertake the scan. At that time, Mr. Wong obviously felt anxious and agitated. He stated that he did not want to continue the exam, despite persuasion from Paul and his wife. Although his wife urged that the examination should continue, Paul terminated the examination and asked the wife to rebook a future appointment.

What are the ethical and legal issues relating to this cases?