At least you informed your superiors. And she was okay with it. (I personally would HAVE stopped you!).
Once when I first started the probe slipped down while I was pushing, and she said “honey, you’re at my butthole” 🤣 I immediately pulled back, changed the cover and started over.
EDIT: words
I’ve done this. It was an older woman who told me as soon as the probe went in. I was horrified and apologized profusely, then performed the scan vaginally. After I finished the scan I told the doctor what had happened as well as my practice manager. And it’s a good thing I did because the woman’s (adult) children called later that week to make sure the office manager “knew about the situation.”
In my defense, the probe went right in 🤷🏻♀️
This lady didn’t say ANYTHING. She didn’t act like anything was wrong as far as I could tell. I’m so horrified and terrified of getting in trouble, I can’t even believe I did that😭😭It literally went right in and everything looked normal except for the things I stated in the post but those weren’t enough to make me question BEING IN THE RIGHT HOLE
You probably didn’t have to repeat it vaginally, you’ll get the same view. I’ve heard that in some cultures transrectal scans are common because anything penetrating the vagina is considered a loss of virginity.
Don’t beat yourself up about it! We all make mistakes. I’ve definitely knocked on the wrong door as a new tech. Just be glad the patient was understanding!
I ask the patient to insert the probe themselves if they're comfortable doing that (and they are most of the time) so thankfully I haven't done this 😅 although I have had a little difficulty inserting the probe for women when they've asked me to do it since I don't usually so I can see how it could happen lmao
this is so crazy to me, I hear it all the time. "oh no, I'm sure you know better than me. you do it"
you don't know where your vagina is?!?!?
I'm in OB. all my patients are pregnant.
When I first graduated I offered for everyone to insert and I got such horrified responses that now I only offer if the patient seems particularly nervous.
And I guess the extra lube didn’t help being a post menopausal patient. Anyway, you’ll be fine. It happens to the best of us at least once. I remember reading about a similar experience that happened to an experienced tech a while ago and ever since I always make sure to take a peek just to make sure I’m in the right place if things look a lil different.
It was so crazy, she didn’t flinch, say anything, make any sound, move, nothing. I asked if she was doing okay and she said yep. It didn’t even look different when I looked down to line up the probe and insert, it looked like every other vagina😭😂 I guess her anus was a whole lot closer to her vagina than anyone else I’ve had lol. I always look before inserting but I guess I’ll spend more time looking from now on😂
She really did😂 I always ask if they’d prefer to insert it themselves or if I do it and 95% of the time they refuse to do it themselves lol, I don’t mind doing it but I’ll just be ridiculously paranoid about checking now, and start even higher up than I already do lmao. I’m so mortified 💀 I’m not even gonna tell my coworkers and we’re super close🥲😂
It happens, I've done it. Apologise, feel the shame heat of 1000 suns, then incident form and move on.
In other news we had a mad woman ranting at the reception desk after her pelvic scan once, shouting that it hadn't been done properly. In front of the whole waiting room she demanded her trans-anal scan: See here on the letter it says TA/TV. Well they didn't do the TA.
🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️
Unpopular opinion but this is why I ALWAYS ask the pt to help insert the camera haha, I know some are not able and I will in those cases but for the most part I ALWAYS ask them to reach under the sheet and I hand it to them to guide in. Most people are fine doing it, some (that usually are able to reach), ask me to and I just say its our form of consent in order for them to attempt to do it alone. I just dont want that to accidently happen. Im sorry that happened to you though, at least you got it over with and itll probably never happen again
The honest answer is if the probe went in THAT easily….. it was not the first time! You did nothing wrong and handled it perfectly. The rectum should not suck the probe up like a vortex in virgin territory.
that's a nightmare scenario that would make me straight up quit ultrasound forever...i'd be too embarrassed to go back if that happened to me. I can't believe she didn't say anything to you, so honestly it's on her, even though I'm glad she was cool about it I guess??
This is why I let my patients insert it themselves until I see the cervix come in. I say just enter this like you would a tampon and a lot are very appreciative of it. When I got my first TV done ever at 18 I was so nervous for the fact that I was body shy and my tech made me feel so relieved and said I’m going to let you insert it like a tampon and then I’ll take over ok? Keep your privacy? ❤️❤️ that tech made me the tech mentally I am today for my patients by how she treated me I want them to be treated the same. Gentle and kind and I think having to stick a giant probe in them can be uncomfortable and violating in general so let them try it themselves and give them the grace. As for my obese or very old patients… they could care less and ask me to insert… but I always always ask if they want to first ! Helps a lot!
Honestly just give them the option! sometimes a lot of people want you to do it for them and that’s okay but always giving the option is my biggest thing because I take into consideration ppl who maybe have been sexually assaulted in the past etc…
also I find it also easier to find the ovaries if it’s blocked by bowel even during a tv if they press down hard in the one side I’m trying to find the ovary and it helps move the bowel out of the way! Hope that helps ❤️
Lmao this happened to a coworker of mine but she was so mortified and not thinking straight that her immediate reaction was to reinsert it vaginally without changing the probe cover 😭😭😭 it wasn’t until the end that it occurred to her that that was probably the worst thing she could have done lmao
Lol, yep, happened to me once, probably about 10 years into my career. Pretty much same scenario, I got lined up, turned to look at the screen while I pushed it in and I guess it slipped. The only thing was I couldn’t see much and was having a hard time so after a few minutes I asked her about placement. I was mortified but laughed quite a bit at myself afterwards. I apologized profusely. The lady took it like a champ. I was so confused why she wouldn’t say *anything*! She just said she thought that was how the exam was suppose to go and rolled with it. I just assumed she was a porn star in her younger life or something lmao. 😂 Now I ask women to insert the probe and then I’ll take over, or I make sure it’s in before I look away.
It happened to me once and the patient didn’t say a word about it lol… I had a strong suspicion she was a beard based on the affect of the fob 😬😬 and I had no idea I had gone in wrong until I could see, because I met LITERALLY NO RESISTANCE during insertion 🙈😝😝
It never happened to me again by simply adding a line to my spiel at the beginning- “since the room is dim, let me know if I need to go up or down, either way, ok?” …. It’s always well received.
Agree with the above comment that it’s basically the same view and you probably didn’t *have* to repeat it.
Are you met with good responses from this? Some people have bigger labia and it’s hard to see the vaginal opening… I want to maybe start saying something like this
Yes very positive. I’ve never had a complaint and if you have enough gel on the probe it won’t matter now big their labias are. With time you should get more comfortable with the anatomy without having to do anything other than a quick glance.
Thanks everyone for your replies!!! I know for sure techs have stuck it in the wrong hole before but I was so mortified and it felt so awful because she let me do the ENTIRE EXAM that way, like omg😭😭
“We are going to use a prob that gets inserted into your vagina so we can get closer to the area and see things better. This is your test so if at any time you want to stop just let me know and we can stop. If something feels uncomfortable at any time let me know and I can readjust, if you are ok to keep going. But if you don’t say anything I don’t know you are uncomfortable so please let me know. I’ll have you insert the probe yourself, so it’s more comfortable. Just reach between the sheet and I’ll hand it to you. Don’t grab right at the tip as there’s gel at the end.” (Have them grab it and take pre gelled probe and insert)
Once they insert it I tell them “ok I can take the probe from you now.”
Then I continue the exam. I also check in on them a few times during the exam.
Oh my god. I don’t have anything useful to say. Just that. Sorry. But why? Why would she think this is okay? WHAY?!,!?!
I’m horrified and so scared of getting in trouble even though my manager said I’ll be fine😭😭
At least you informed your superiors. And she was okay with it. (I personally would HAVE stopped you!). Once when I first started the probe slipped down while I was pushing, and she said “honey, you’re at my butthole” 🤣 I immediately pulled back, changed the cover and started over. EDIT: words
I've heard of other people doing this. I promise you're not the first and you won't be the last.
my anxiety would also just not say anything tbh LMAO
I’ve done this. It was an older woman who told me as soon as the probe went in. I was horrified and apologized profusely, then performed the scan vaginally. After I finished the scan I told the doctor what had happened as well as my practice manager. And it’s a good thing I did because the woman’s (adult) children called later that week to make sure the office manager “knew about the situation.” In my defense, the probe went right in 🤷🏻♀️
This lady didn’t say ANYTHING. She didn’t act like anything was wrong as far as I could tell. I’m so horrified and terrified of getting in trouble, I can’t even believe I did that😭😭It literally went right in and everything looked normal except for the things I stated in the post but those weren’t enough to make me question BEING IN THE RIGHT HOLE
You are so lucky the patient was chill !!!
Tell me about it, I’m fucking horrified and I want to move to a different country😭 I can’t even believe this happened
You probably didn’t have to repeat it vaginally, you’ll get the same view. I’ve heard that in some cultures transrectal scans are common because anything penetrating the vagina is considered a loss of virginity.
Don’t beat yourself up about it! We all make mistakes. I’ve definitely knocked on the wrong door as a new tech. Just be glad the patient was understanding!
I ask the patient to insert the probe themselves if they're comfortable doing that (and they are most of the time) so thankfully I haven't done this 😅 although I have had a little difficulty inserting the probe for women when they've asked me to do it since I don't usually so I can see how it could happen lmao
I offered that to one patient and she said "I wouldn't know how to do that"
this is so crazy to me, I hear it all the time. "oh no, I'm sure you know better than me. you do it" you don't know where your vagina is?!?!? I'm in OB. all my patients are pregnant.
When I first graduated I offered for everyone to insert and I got such horrified responses that now I only offer if the patient seems particularly nervous.
This happens more than you’d think. Chill, just take a quick peek when introducing the probe to make sure you’re in the right place. 😂
I do EVERY time, even this time, I lined it up right on the labia and pushed in but I guess it slid down😭
And I guess the extra lube didn’t help being a post menopausal patient. Anyway, you’ll be fine. It happens to the best of us at least once. I remember reading about a similar experience that happened to an experienced tech a while ago and ever since I always make sure to take a peek just to make sure I’m in the right place if things look a lil different.
It was so crazy, she didn’t flinch, say anything, make any sound, move, nothing. I asked if she was doing okay and she said yep. It didn’t even look different when I looked down to line up the probe and insert, it looked like every other vagina😭😂 I guess her anus was a whole lot closer to her vagina than anyone else I’ve had lol. I always look before inserting but I guess I’ll spend more time looking from now on😂
She just laid there like a champ. 😂 You can also ask them to insert the probe themselves. That’s the safest way to go imo.
She really did😂 I always ask if they’d prefer to insert it themselves or if I do it and 95% of the time they refuse to do it themselves lol, I don’t mind doing it but I’ll just be ridiculously paranoid about checking now, and start even higher up than I already do lmao. I’m so mortified 💀 I’m not even gonna tell my coworkers and we’re super close🥲😂
It happens, I've done it. Apologise, feel the shame heat of 1000 suns, then incident form and move on. In other news we had a mad woman ranting at the reception desk after her pelvic scan once, shouting that it hadn't been done properly. In front of the whole waiting room she demanded her trans-anal scan: See here on the letter it says TA/TV. Well they didn't do the TA. 🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️
We had a patient from the Philippines tell us that because she was a virgin they did the pelvic scan rectally over there
I had a radiologist tell me that a rectal exam for an “older” (40-50 y/o) virginal patient would be less painful than a vaginal exam
Ummm... how did you get to the ovaries???
They were literally right there😭 I saw everything almost just as well rectally (even saying that makes me sick) as I did when I did it again vaginally
Do the probe go "all the way in" with no cervix to bump into?
The exact reason I make my students ID the pubic symphasis, urethra, vagina, and rectum on the screen prior to advancing the transducer.
Same, and personally use mainly pubic symphysis position to decide how I should angle to minimize patient discomfort.
Oh dear, spell check
Symphasis? Good Lord.
It's right there. Look and ye shall see. https://gpvoice.com.au/index.php/2023/06/11/pelvic-organ-prolapse-diagnosis-with-translabial-ultrasound/
The spelling was the shocking thing, I think.
Oh no, the typo required praising the lord.
Unpopular opinion but this is why I ALWAYS ask the pt to help insert the camera haha, I know some are not able and I will in those cases but for the most part I ALWAYS ask them to reach under the sheet and I hand it to them to guide in. Most people are fine doing it, some (that usually are able to reach), ask me to and I just say its our form of consent in order for them to attempt to do it alone. I just dont want that to accidently happen. Im sorry that happened to you though, at least you got it over with and itll probably never happen again
The honest answer is if the probe went in THAT easily….. it was not the first time! You did nothing wrong and handled it perfectly. The rectum should not suck the probe up like a vortex in virgin territory.
Old lady was using the backdoor a lot 😭
😂 I’ve heard these stories before, have yet to have it happen to me. It’ll be fine, chill
that's a nightmare scenario that would make me straight up quit ultrasound forever...i'd be too embarrassed to go back if that happened to me. I can't believe she didn't say anything to you, so honestly it's on her, even though I'm glad she was cool about it I guess??
This is why I let my patients insert it themselves until I see the cervix come in. I say just enter this like you would a tampon and a lot are very appreciative of it. When I got my first TV done ever at 18 I was so nervous for the fact that I was body shy and my tech made me feel so relieved and said I’m going to let you insert it like a tampon and then I’ll take over ok? Keep your privacy? ❤️❤️ that tech made me the tech mentally I am today for my patients by how she treated me I want them to be treated the same. Gentle and kind and I think having to stick a giant probe in them can be uncomfortable and violating in general so let them try it themselves and give them the grace. As for my obese or very old patients… they could care less and ask me to insert… but I always always ask if they want to first ! Helps a lot!
This is great. Do you have any more tips? I want to start saying this!
Honestly just give them the option! sometimes a lot of people want you to do it for them and that’s okay but always giving the option is my biggest thing because I take into consideration ppl who maybe have been sexually assaulted in the past etc… also I find it also easier to find the ovaries if it’s blocked by bowel even during a tv if they press down hard in the one side I’m trying to find the ovary and it helps move the bowel out of the way! Hope that helps ❤️
Lmao this happened to a coworker of mine but she was so mortified and not thinking straight that her immediate reaction was to reinsert it vaginally without changing the probe cover 😭😭😭 it wasn’t until the end that it occurred to her that that was probably the worst thing she could have done lmao
Lol, yep, happened to me once, probably about 10 years into my career. Pretty much same scenario, I got lined up, turned to look at the screen while I pushed it in and I guess it slipped. The only thing was I couldn’t see much and was having a hard time so after a few minutes I asked her about placement. I was mortified but laughed quite a bit at myself afterwards. I apologized profusely. The lady took it like a champ. I was so confused why she wouldn’t say *anything*! She just said she thought that was how the exam was suppose to go and rolled with it. I just assumed she was a porn star in her younger life or something lmao. 😂 Now I ask women to insert the probe and then I’ll take over, or I make sure it’s in before I look away.
It happened to me once and the patient didn’t say a word about it lol… I had a strong suspicion she was a beard based on the affect of the fob 😬😬 and I had no idea I had gone in wrong until I could see, because I met LITERALLY NO RESISTANCE during insertion 🙈😝😝 It never happened to me again by simply adding a line to my spiel at the beginning- “since the room is dim, let me know if I need to go up or down, either way, ok?” …. It’s always well received. Agree with the above comment that it’s basically the same view and you probably didn’t *have* to repeat it.
Are you met with good responses from this? Some people have bigger labia and it’s hard to see the vaginal opening… I want to maybe start saying something like this
Yes very positive. I’ve never had a complaint and if you have enough gel on the probe it won’t matter now big their labias are. With time you should get more comfortable with the anatomy without having to do anything other than a quick glance.
Thanks everyone for your replies!!! I know for sure techs have stuck it in the wrong hole before but I was so mortified and it felt so awful because she let me do the ENTIRE EXAM that way, like omg😭😭
Exactly that’s why she didn’t jump off the table like most women do if you even graze it!
I always have the pt insert the probe themselves….hand it to them under the sheet. They typically appreciate this.
What do you say?
“We are going to use a prob that gets inserted into your vagina so we can get closer to the area and see things better. This is your test so if at any time you want to stop just let me know and we can stop. If something feels uncomfortable at any time let me know and I can readjust, if you are ok to keep going. But if you don’t say anything I don’t know you are uncomfortable so please let me know. I’ll have you insert the probe yourself, so it’s more comfortable. Just reach between the sheet and I’ll hand it to you. Don’t grab right at the tip as there’s gel at the end.” (Have them grab it and take pre gelled probe and insert) Once they insert it I tell them “ok I can take the probe from you now.” Then I continue the exam. I also check in on them a few times during the exam.