CT Scanning

CT stands for computer tomography. It uses X-rays to produce a cross-sectional, or ‘slice’, image of the inside of the body. CT is primarily used to help to make a cancer diagnosis or assess the effects of cancer treatment for example in Clinical Oncology Trials.

For more information on CT scanning you can find a Guide to CT Scanning What is a CT scan. 

To help show different organs in the body, some preparation may be necessary, and if necessary, your appointment letter will have information about this. You do not need to prepare specially for brain, neck or chest scans. We may ask you to drink a certain amount of fluid or a special drink before having an abdomen or pelvis scan.

• You should not eat or drink if you have been told not to (this will only apply for some scans). If we need to, we will give you more details when you book your appointment.
• You should tell us if you are diabetic and taking metformin.
• You should tell us if you have any allergies or asthma or if you have reacted to any other injection given for a kidney X-ray (IVP or IVU) or a previous CT scan
• You should tell us if you are pregnant or breast feeding.
• You should wear comfortable, loose clothing.
• You should let us know about any special needs you have (for example if you need wheelchair access, you are hard of hearing, you have poor eyesight or you are claustrophobic).

For more information on Cardiac Angiogram preparation a guide can be found Cardiac Angiogram Patient Preparation Guide - CIF.

A CT scan and MRI scan often work together to help diagnose a patient's symptoms. CT is very good at scanning the whole body in a short period of time and is very good (unlike MRI) at looking at lung fields, so is very useful for conditions such as COPD. A CT scan will typically generate many hundreds of highly detailed images, from multiple angles, that can be altered after the scan to show a particular pathology or area of interest. CT scans are often used as the first scan in a patient's "diagnostic pathway" and are very good at looking at the brain, internal anatomy of the chest/abdomen/pelvis, and bones (and knees, feet, hips).

CT scans are, by comparison to MRI, very quick. If the requested scan does not require an injection of CT contrast, then the patient will often only be on the scanner for just a few minutes, irrespective of what is being scanned.

Having a CT scan is a very simple process, there is a table that will move in and out of the machine that you will be asked to lay on. Depending on what we are scanning this may be with your head close to or away from the scanner itself. Often, if we are scanning your body, there may be an injection of contrast, in which case the radiographer will need to ask you a few questions relating to your medical history. During the scan, you will move back and forth through the scanner and you may hear some breathing instructions. If you are asked to hold your breath then don't worry, these breath holds are always very short and you don't need to take a large breath in.

CT uses radiation and different densities of the tissues within your body to obtain an image. Because of this, we can only accept referrals from a GMC-registered doctor for CT.

No, unfortunately, you will not get any scan results on the day of the scan. Both MRI and CT produce a large quantity of highly detailed images that require the time and consideration of a highly trained Consultant Radiologist for an accurate report to be produced. All of our Radiologists will typically produce their report within 3 days of your scan, however, due to the very nature of the images, this can often take a little longer. All images and reports are sent back to the scan referrer, and it is them that you will need to get your results from.