There are many reasons why a doctor could suggest you get a CT scan. Imaging technology can help doctors diagnose bone tumors or fractures, identify where a tumor or blood clot is located, judge where to go in for surgery or radiation therapy, monitor heart disease damage or detect internal injuries. Unlike an MRI scan, anyone can have a CT for their medical problem, even if they have pacemakers or internal cardioverter defibrillators. The only audience left out from this diagnostic test is pregnant women, who may be better suited for a visit to the sonographer, who’ll perform an ultrasound instead.
The full exam, which should take no more than an hour, can be done in an outpatient clinic or hospital setting. To prepare for CT scans, patients usually have to remove their clothes, any metal objects and jewelry, then put on a hospital gown. Depending on which part of the body is being scanned, some patients need to fast for a few hours and have contrast liquid ingested or injected to emphasize more intricate structures like blood vessels. Some patients are also required to modify their diets and take laxatives. Small children may need to take a sedative so that they can remain calm and still to achieve the best test results and clearest images.
During the CT scan, the patient will lie on a table inside a doughnut-shaped machine, while an x-ray tube rotates around the body. Whirring and clicking sounds are heard while the x-ray sends small doses of radiation through the body, which are absorbed differently by different tissues. The radiation is then converted into electrical signals and sent to a computer monitor. There will be radiologists in the room with the patient the entire time and they can communicate with the patient via intercom. Once the exam is finished, individuals can resume their normal routine. They’ll be advised to drink lots of fluid to flush the contrast material from the body.
However, the decision to get a CT scan is sort of like deciding whether one would like to know the future or not. For instance, in 15-30% of healthy patients, a slight abnormality may be discovered that is not life-threatening or even serious, but the individual may feel nervous about it and decide to undergo more medical procedures to be sure no “real” medical problem surfaces in the future. Critics of diagnostic radiology say that these “preventative tests” are nothing more than a cash cow for doctors who get paid more for each test they refer their patients to. And some even argue that the exposure to radiation actually increases the risk of developing cancer sometime in life. Ultimately, it’s up to the individual patient to see if the benefits outweigh the risks.
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