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Frequently Asked Questions about
Computed Tomography (CT) Imaging
Will the CT
Imaging Examination Hurt?
Is CT Imaging
Safe?
How Long Will
the CT Examination Take?
Do I Need a
Referral (Prescription) to Receive an CT Examination?
Can I Move
While I am in the CT Scanner?
Can I Talk
With Anyone During the Scan?
Can I Bring a
Friend or a Relative into the CT Scan Room With Me?
Do I Need an
Injection of Contrast for my CT Exam?
If I am
Nursing an Infant, can I Breast Feed After an Injection?
Can I have a
CT Imaging Exam if I am Pregnant?
Will the CT imaging Examination Hurt?
No, CT imaging itself should cause no
pain. CT imaging requires that the patient remain still during the examination. For some
patients, keeping still for some time may be uncomfortable. The CT examination itself
causes no bodily sensation.
CT imaging examinations that require
the patient to receive iodine contrast injection may cause
slight, temporary discomfort while the intravenous needle is placed (see below section
"do I need an injection?").
Is CT Imaging Safe?
Yes, CT imaging is considered a safe
examination. In general, the diagnostic benefit of a CT scan usually outweighs the risk of
x-ray radiation exposure or injections of imaging contrast and use of sedatives during the
scan. Patients should inform the radiologist or technologist if they have a history of
allergies (especially to medications, previous iodine injections, or shellfish), diabetes,
asthma, a heart condition, kidney problems, or thyroid conditions.
How Long Will the CT Examination Take?
Most CT departments or centers offer a
wide array of computed tomography (CT) imaging examinations. Depending on the type of exam
you will receive, the length of the actual procedure will typically be between 10 minutes
and 45 minutes. A few involved CT examinations take longer than 45 minutes.
Also, many CT exams require the patient
to hold their breath several times. This helps to eliminate blurring from the images,
which can be caused by breathing or other patient motion. Please discuss specific
questions about the duration of your CT imaging examination with the technologist before
your exam.
Do I need a Referral (Prescription) to Receive an CT Examination?
Yes, your doctor must give you a
referral (prescription) in order for you to receive a computed tomography (CT) imaging
examination. However, CT can often be performed on an outpatient basis without having to
admit the patient to the hospital.
Can I Move While I am in the CT Scanner?
You should not move when you are on the
CT table and the images are being acquired. It is important that you not move the body
part being imaged, for example your head, until the entire CT exam is complete. CT exams
of the chest and abdomen require the patient to hold their breath for a short period of
time, for example, 10 to 25 seconds. This eliminates blurring in the image caused by
breathing or other patient motion.
Can I Talk With Anyone During the CT Scan?
You may talk to the technologists or
ask a question in between CT data acquisitions.
Can I Bring a Friend or a Relative into the CT Scan Room With Me?
No, CT uses x-ray and only the person
being imaged should be in the CT scanner room during the examination.
Do I Need
an Injection of Contrast for my CT Exam?
Not everyone needs an injection for CT
imaging. When an contrast injection is needed, a pharmaceutical
contrast agent made of iodine is used. This is only done when the radiologist and/or the
referring physician have determined that it is necessary for diagnostic purposes. Iodine
contrast is used to make specific organs, blood vessels or tissue types "stand
out" with more image contrast in the resulting picture. This highlights the structure
of the specific organs or vessel to better show the presence of disease or injury. The
referring doctor provides the CT center with information about the patient's medical
condition and the goal of the CT imaging procedure being ordered (for example, to diagnose
cause of intense back pain). The decision to use or not to use an injection of CT contrast
is made based on this information and the body part being examined.
If I'm
Nursing an Infant, Can I Breast Feed After an Injection of CT Contrast?
Typically, patients are instructed to
wait for 24 hours after receiving the CT contrast injection before breast feeding again.
Patients may wish to pump breast milk prior to the CT exam and store it for use during
this 24-hour period. Always check with the radiologist and the imaging center for their
specific recommendations.
Can I Have an CT Imaging Exam if I am Pregnant?
Pregnant woman should not have a
CT exam or any x-ray examination, especially if the woman is in her first trimester (first
of three-3 month periods of pregnancy). Depending on the condition, there may be other
exams available, such as ultrasound, to help diagnose a medical condition. Pregnant women
should always inform their imaging technologist or radiologist that they are pregnant, or
may be pregnant.
Updated: September 13, 2007
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