Texas Administrative Code

Texas Administrative Code

TITLE 22	EXAMINING BOARDS
PART 24	TEXAS BOARD OF VETERINARY MEDICAL EXAMINERS
CHAPTER 573	RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
SUBCHAPTER B	SUPERVISION OF PERSONNEL
RULE §573.15	Use of Ultrasound in Diagnosis or Therapy

(a) Definitions.

(1) Ultrasound--Mechanical radiant energy with a frequency greater than 20 kilocycles per second.

(2) Ultrasonics--That part of the science of acoustics dealing with the frequency range beyond the upper limit of perception by the human ear, but usually restricted to frequencies above 500 kilocycles per second.

(3) Ultrasonic radiation--The effect of ultrasound which is injurious to tissues because of its thermal effects when absorbed by living matter.

(4) Ultrasound therapy--Controlled doses of ultrasound used therapeutically to selectively break down pathologic tissues, as in treatment of arthritis and lesions of the nervous system.

(5) Diagnostic ultrasound--Ultrasound images used as a diagnostic aid by visually displaying echoes received from irradiated tissues.

(6) Ultrasonography--The visualization of deep structures of the body by recording the reflections of pulses of ultrasonic waves directed into the tissues.

(b) Use of ultrasound for diagnosis or therapy of animals. The use of ultrasound in animals to diagnose any condition or for any therapeutic purpose is the practice of veterinary medicine and shall only be performed by a licensed veterinarian or under the general supervision of a licensed veterinarian.

(1) For diagnostic purposes. A person who is not a licensed veterinarian may perform ultrasonography on an animal for diagnostic purposes only if: the person administering the ultrasound is doing so at the request of a licensed veterinarian; the veterinarian has established a veterinarian-client-patient relationship; and it is the veterinarian who uses the ultrasonography to make a diagnosis.

(2) For therapeutic purposes. A person who is not a licensed veterinarian may perform ultrasonography on an animal for therapeutic purposes only if a veterinarian has: established a veterinarian-client-patient relationship; made a diagnosis; prescribed ultrasonics as a treatment; and the person administering the ultrasound is doing so at the specific request of a licensed veterinarian.

(d) Prohibited acts. Any person who uses ultrasound on animals in a manner inconsistent with this rule shall be in violation of this rule and the Texas Veterinary Licensing Act.

Source Note: The provisions of this §573.15 adopted to be effective June 14, 2012, 37 TexReg 4229; amended to be effective August 22, 2016, 41 TexReg 6203