If your infant or toddler is having a CT scan, the doctor may recommend a sedative to keep your child calm and still. This procedure can make you feel bloated and uncomfortable. A contrast material may be inserted in your rectum to help visualize your intestines. You may experience a feeling of warmth during the injection or a metallic taste in your mouth. Contrast agents can be injected through a vein in your arm to help your gallbladder, urinary tract, liver or blood vessels stand out on the images. If your esophagus or stomach is being scanned, you may need to swallow a liquid that contains contrast material. The contrast material blocks X-rays and appears white on images, which can help emphasize blood vessels, intestines or other structures. Refrain from eating or drinking for a few hours before your scanĪ special dye called contrast material is needed for some CT scans to help highlight the areas of your body being examined.Remove metal objects, such as a belt, jewelry, dentures and eyeglasses, which might interfere with image results.Take off some or all of your clothing and wear a hospital gown.How you prepareĭepending on which part of your body is being scanned, you may be asked to: Tell your doctor if you've ever had a reaction to contrast material. In rare instances, an allergic reaction can be serious, even life-threatening. Most reactions are mild and result in a rash or itchiness. Although rare, the contrast material can cause medical problems or allergic reactions. This can be something that you are asked to drink before your CT scan, or something that is given through a vein in your arm or inserted into your rectum. In certain cases, your doctor may recommend that you receive a special dye called contrast material. At the low doses of radiation used in CT imaging, no negative effects have been observed in humans. Although the radiation from a CT scan is unlikely to injure your baby, your doctor may recommend another type of exam, such as ultrasound or MRI, to avoid exposing your baby to radiation. Talk with your doctor about the benefits and risks of your CT scan. Also, newer, faster machines and techniques require less radiation than was previously used. Doctors use the lowest dose of radiation possible to obtain the needed medical information. The low doses of radiation used in CT scans have not been shown to cause long-term harm, although at much higher doses, there may be a small increase in your potential risk of cancer.ĬT scans have many benefits that outweigh any small potential risk. The amount of radiation is greater than you would get during a plain X-ray because the CT scan gathers more-detailed information. Pseudotumor cerebri (idiopathic intracranial hypertension)ĭuring a CT scan, you're briefly exposed to ionizing radiation.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |