CT Scan

Exam Preparation

Patients are asked not to consume any food or liquids four hours prior to the exam when ordered with IV contrast.  IV contrast is usually prescribed for the following types of CT exams: CT Abdomen or Pelvis, CT Chest, CT Soft Tissue Neck, CT Head (Brain, IAC’s Orbits, Pituitary, TMJ, Post Fossa), CTA (Angiogram, Aorta), CT Urogram, or UGI.  Patients are asked not to consume any food after midnight preceding the appointment, with instructions for no fluid consumption 3 hours prior to the exam.  Medications are allowed with a little water.  Please consult with your physician for more instruction.

For many CT examinations, a contrast agent (a liquid that enhances imaging of certain organs or blood vessels) will be administered. Depending on the type of examination, the contrast may be given orally or intravenously. If certain types of contrast will be used during an examination, the patient may be required to fast for several hours or use an enema to cleanse the colon prior to his/her appointment.  If an intravenous contrast agent will be used, the details of procedure will be explained and the patient will be asked to sign a consent form.

What Should I Wear

Comfortable, loose clothing should be worn, although in some cases a patient will be asked to change into a patient gown for the examination. It is also important to remove any metal prior to the exam: jewelry, dentures, eyeglasses, belt buckles, and metal zippers and buttons can interfere with the images.  Please notify the technologist prior to the exam if there is a possibility that you could be pregnant.

What to expect

Before the exam begins, a technologist will ask you a series of questions about your medical history as well as the reasons why you are having the test.
The technologist will position the patient on the scanner’s “couch.” The technologist glides the couch into place within the opening of the gantry, using cross-hair positioning lights to put the “target” area (for example, the chest) in the path of the x-rays.The scanner is controlled by a computer in an adjacent room, which has a window facing the machine and patient.

During this time, the technologist and patient can easily communicate through an intercom. When images are being acquired, the patient is usually asked to hold his/her breath and remain motionless. Image acquisition typically lasts 20-30 seconds. When the patient couch moves, the patient may hear whirring or humming noises. It is very important to lie completely still while images are being taken. Any movement can reduce the clarity of the images, and the radiologist may then have difficulty interpreting them.

More Info

A way of looking inside your body using a special camera. The images (or pictures) produced are cross – sectional, like the slices in a loaf of bread. During a CT exam the scanner takes multiple cross-sectional pictures of you. These pictures are created with the help of a computer and are capable of depicting various internal body parts in much greater detail than standard X-Ray films. This greatly enhances the radiologist’s ability to read the images and diagnose a medical condition.

Locations for this exam

Royal Oak‎

30701 Woodward Avenue, Royal Oak‎

Sterling Heights‎

13753 19 Mile Rd, Sterling Heights‎

Dearborn‎

4407 Roemer Ave, Dearborn‎