Tracking Disease with CT Scan

Scanning with computerized tomography technology or CT scan, appeared in the early 1970s. Since then CT scanning has become an important tool for medical imaging. Then what are the benefits? CT Scan combines a series of X-ray scans taken from various different angles. Then the computer will process it to produce images of bones and soft tissue in the body.

Help the Diagnosis Process

CT scan is a large circular scanning machine, enough for adults to lie in position. This tool can be used to diagnose and monitor various health conditions. The doctor will recommend a CT scan for certain conditions, such as:

• Obtain a diagnosis of muscle and bone abnormalities, such as tumors or fractures in the bone.
• Determine the location of tumors, infections, or blood clots.
• Guide medical procedures when performing surgery, biopsy, or radiation therapy.
• Detect and monitor certain conditions and diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, and tumors in certain organs such as the lungs and liver.
• Look for injuries or internal bleeding.

The use of CT scans is now increasingly being used as a means of scanning body health conditions or diseases and as a preventive measure. For example CT scan of the large intestine for patients who have a high risk of developing colon cancer or a complete heart scan in patients with a high risk of heart disease.

Scanned Body Parts

During a CT scan, you will be asked to lie on a bed that can move in and out automatically. The radiology officer or radiographer who helps the examination will position you properly so that the body part being examined can be clearly scanned. Here are some parts of the body that are often checked using CT scans:

• Head

CT scans are usually used in the head to detect tissue that has died from strokes, tumors, hardened tissue due to calcium deposits, bleeding, and trauma to the bone.

• Lungs

Scans can be used to detect acute or chronic changes in the inside of the lungs. The results of CT scans taken from various angles can be more accurate than two-dimensional X-ray examination.

• Heart

The combination of the ability to rotate per second with high-resolution and high-speed images that CT scans have can also provide good coronary artery imaging results.

• Abdominal and pelvic cavity

CT scanning is a sensitive method that can be used to diagnose diseases of the organs in the abdominal and pelvic cavities, such as the spleen, liver, pancreas, and bile ducts. Doctors often use this procedure to determine the level of cancer and its development. Can also be done to examine the cause of acute abdominal pain.

• Bone

CT scans are often used to scan the condition of complex fractures, especially around the joint, because of its ability to take pictures from various angles. Broken bones, ligament injuries, and dislocations can be found easily.

Consider Risk Factors

During the CT scan, you will be exposed to higher levels of radiation than regular X-rays. This radiation is likely to slightly increase the risk of cancer. However, CT scanning has more benefits compared to the level of risk. The doctor will use the lowest possible radiation level. The latest machinery and techniques can make you get less radiation. Consult your doctor about the benefits and risks that exist before doing a CT scan. Radiation from CT scans should be avoided by pregnant women. Reconsider if you have the possibility of getting pregnant while going for a CT scan. For pregnant women, the doctor will suggest other types of scanning, such as ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to avoid the risk to the fetus. In addition, children also have a greater risk of radiation exposure than adults. In pediatric patients, CT scanning can only be done if it is really needed.

Preparatory Steps

Before undergoing a CT scan, the doctor will ask for your medical history, consumption of certain drugs, and the presence or absence of allergies. The following are the things in the CT scan procedure that you need to know.

• When going for a CT scan, you will be asked to change clothes with special clothes provided by the hospital. You will also be asked to remove all jewelry because metals can interfere with the scanning process.
• If a CT scan is performed on the head, you will be informed beforehand to remove dentures. In addition, hearing aids and hair clips must also be removed.
• Talk to the radiographer or medical staff first if you feel tense or have a phobia in an enclosed space, because that can block the CT scan process. The clerk can help you feel calmer. If necessary, talk with your doctor to get a sedative.
• In certain conditions, you may be given a contrast fluid before a CT scan. The liquid contains substances that will help clarify the picture. Depending on which part of the body to be scanned, contrast fluid can be given in the form of drinks or injected into the bloodstream. The liquid will then be removed from the body through urine.
• Although it is rare, contrast fluid can cause allergic reactions in some people. Consult your doctor first if you have an allergy to iodine or contrast fluid.

During the CT scan, you must lie still and not be allowed to move. Adjust the breath as you normally would to get good image quality. The large ring on the CT scan machine will rotate around your body. Each time you spin, the machine will produce a new scan image. The place you lie on will move slightly each time the ring has finished spinning. Medical personnel will run a CT scan machine from the next room, separate from the examination room. Meanwhile, you can hear the instructions and talk to the officer via the intercom. CT scan results are not immediately available after the examination. The computer will process the entire image from the scanning process, which will then be analyzed by a radiology specialist. Reports on the results of tests that have been analyzed will usually be sent directly to your doctor. The risk of radiation from CT scans does exist but is not large. The doctor will only recommend a CT scan when your condition really needs it. Avoid CT scans if you might be pregnant, and ask for the best alternative examination from your doctor.