Contrast medium is used to increase tissue contrast between normal and abnormal structures hence allowing better differentiation and more precise diagnosis. The intravenously injected contrast medium becomes distributed all over the tissues of the body and consequently increases their density; therefore increases the ability of these tissues to absorb and attenuate the x-ray beam and the more the tissue takes contrast medium the more they appear bright in CT.

Lenox Hill radiology only uses the newest and safest "non ionic" contrast available on the market. This is shown to have a much lower incidence of allergic reaction than the older "ionic" contrast. The most common side effect of the contrast includes a warm or hot "flushed" sensation during the actual injection and a "metallic" taste in the mouth, which usually lasts less than a minute or so. There is no treatment necessary for this as it is only a passing sensation.

The contrast is injected into a vein using a small needle during a specific period in the CT exam. The contrast circulates the blood stream, through the heart and arteries, capillaries and veins, to essentially “enhance” the tissue structure of your organs so they appear highlighted on the CT images for a more precise diagnosis.

Absolutely. We use “non-ionic” contrast, which has a much lower incidence of allergic reaction than the older “ionic” contrast.

Oral contrast is used to image the stomach and intestines. It is a very dilute, flavored barium solution that you drink approximately 1 hour prior to an examination. Intravenous contrast is sometimes referred to as "dye". Although colorless, it contains iodine, which makes specific organs, blood vessels, and tissues visible on x-rays for better detection of disease or injury. It is not radioactive.

The most common side effect is a warm sensation during the injection and a "metallic" taste in the mouth. These are only passing sensations and usually last less than a minute or so. For some patients, itching or hives (bumps on the skin) may occur and can last from several minutes to several hours after the injection. This can be treated with medication at the time of the exam or after by the referring physician.

Intravenous contrast is used in CT to help highlight blood vessels and to enhance the tissue structure of various organs such as the brain, spine, liver and kidneys. "Intravenous" means that the contrast is injected into a vein using a small needle. Typically the contrast is loaded into a power injector, which injects the CT contrast using tubing through the needle into the body during a specific period in the CT exam.

Not all CT examinations require the use of a contrast agent. When a contrast agent is required, it is because the radiologist and referring physician determine that it is necessary for diagnosis. Contrast agents are considered to be safe and side effects are uncommon. The benefits associated with the improved imaging of particular organs generally outweigh the low risk of allergic reaction.

intravenous or IV is a catheter that is introduced into a vein for the purpose of administering fluid, anesthetic medications, and other medications.

Patients having a CT scan of either their abdomen or pelvis are usually required to drink a special drink for up to 2 hours prior to their scan time. The drink, which is Barium based travels from the stomach into the remainder of the gastrointestinal tract. The CT x-ray beam is attenuated (weakened) as it passes through the organs containing the contrast, for example, the large intestine.

If your examination is of the abdomen or pelvis, you will be asked to arrive 1 hour prior to your examination to drink oral contrast, which will allow for a better evaluation of the bowel. Although many examinations do not require intravenous injection of contrast, in some cases it may be required to optimize your study. This will be discussed with you in detail by one of our staff members at the time of your visit.

The CT scan itself is 10-15 minutes. However, to ensure optimum results and patient safety, you will be asked to fill out a medical questionnaire and you will be interviewed by one of our staff before your examination. If applicable, contrast administration will be discussed and administered. A Radiologist will review the image quality of your study before you leave. Your visit should be less than 45 minutes (longer if you need to arrive early to drink oral contrast for a abdomen or pelvic CT).

Our state of the art Spiral CT equipment produces a very low dose of x-ray exposure with negligible adverse effects. It is not much different than the exposure from "background environmental radiation" from the sun, air travel, television or computer screens.

In ordinary CT, the x-ray tube rotates around the body of the patient emitting an x-ray beam focused at the plane of interest, then time is given to the computer to process the data that are recorded by the electronic detectors placed on the opposite side of the patient and to generate the digital image. Then the table moves a distance equal to the slice thickness and another scan is obtained and so on.

Yes, your doctor must provide a referral (prescription) in order for you to receive a examination. In addition, some insurance carriers or HMO’s require a precertification. Please discuss this with your doctor and your insurance company or HMO prior to your test.

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.

Plain (without contrast) CT abdomen , bowel loops are difficult to differentiate from adjacent normal or abnormal structures because of similar density. Oral contrast media (iodine solution) is hyper dense .so once contrast solution is taken before (according to protocol) ,all bowel loops are filled with hyper dense solution. So it is easy to differentiate bowel loops from adjacent normal or abnormal structures.

Yes. The contrast takes 24 to 48 hours to completely filter out of your body. We advise patients to drink lots of water to help this process. If you are a Diabetic taking Glucophage or Metformin, you may take your medication before your exam as usual. However, you must stop taking your medication for 48 hours after your CT scan.

Contrast ratio is the ratio of luminance between the brightest white and the darkest black of a particular device or a particular environment. Projected cinema film, or a photographic reflection print, has a contrast ratio of about 80:1. Television assumes a contrast ratio, in your living room, of about 30:1. Typical office viewing conditions restrict the contrast ratio of a CRT display to about 5:1.

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?").

CT stands for Computer Tomography, a type of x-ray examination that obtains digital images of the body using a thin x-ray beam.

The CT examination is ordered by your referring physician and is interpreted by a radiologist. A radiologist is a physician with special training in the safe utilization of imaging equipment and cross-sectional image interpretation. The radiologist will protocol (prescribe) the specific examination parameters. A specialty trained CT technologist will operate the CT machine according to the prescribed protocol.

The radiologists protocoling and interpreting your examination are sub-specialized in conditions of the musculoskeletal system and orthopaedic conditions. Customized Orthopedic Protocols have been developed due to the nature of each referring physicians' specialized surgical needs Specialized studies are performed to evaluate rotation abnormalities and limb length discrepancy, i.e.