Please report to Admitting 15 minutes before your scheduled exam time.
PREP: You should not eat for 8 hours before the exam. You may drink clear liquids up to 2 hours before the exam. If your doctor has ordered oral contrast (Redi-Cat), drink it 1 to 1 1/2 hours prior to your exam time.
PURPOSE: A CT Scan is done to study the organs and vascular system within the abdomen for signs of injuries, tumors, or other disease.
WHAT TO EXPECT: You will be positioned on a special movable table, called a couch, with your abdomen inside the opening of the CT scanner (usually donut shaped). If intravenous contrast is needed, it is usually injected into a vein in your arm. During the procedure, the couch advances you slowly through the opening in the scanner. You will need to lie very still during the entire test. The technician will ask you to hold your breath at certain times to eliminate motion on the scan.
TIME FRAME: 15-20 minutes
POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS: If contrast is used: Temporary feeling of nausea, warm flashes, hives, difficulty in breathing.
IF YOU ARE PREGNANT, INFORM THE TECHNOLOGIST BEFORE THE EXAM.
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