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.

Experience has shown us that a 1% solution of Magnevist ® (gadopentetate dimeglumine) solution (Berlex Laboratories, Inc., Montville, NJ 07045-1000) works well for MRI imaging. Its NDC number is 50419-188-02. No doubt, there are other brands that would work equally well. To produce a 1% solution, mix 99 parts of water with 1 part Magnevist.

CT scans allow doctors to see images of your internal organs and structures, including your heart and cardiovascular system, in great detail from a variety of angles. This gives your physicians critical information more quickly and, in many cases, more economically than they could achieve with other tests or invasive techniques.

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.

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.

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.

Good eating habits and regular exercise are very important for maintaining health, and when diagnosed with a chronic lung disease, it's even more important.

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.

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.

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

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.

Insurance Companies and HMO's generally do not pay for screening tests, so the Cardiac Calcium Score, Lung Cancer Screening and Virtual Colonoscopy are not usually covered. These screening tests must be paid for at the time the services are performed. We do accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. For more information about Virtual Colonoscopy click on Virtual Colonoscopy.

Intravenous contrast material is often, but not always, used in today's CT and MRI studies to help with diagnosis. An iodine based material is used for CT and gadolinium is used for MRI. The purpose is to “enhance” the tissues and organs of the body in such a way as to make them better stand out from each other, and to allow better visualization of abnormal areas within normal areas. This ability to differentiate normal from abnormal is important to make the correct diagnosis.

The radiation dose for a brain CT scan is comparable to the dose used for dental x-rays. Because CT scans reveal the exact shape and location of soft tissues as well as bone, computed tomography is useful in diagnosing a number of conditions.

Certain types of scans require the use of an injected contrast media. This contrast media, which is given intravenously before the exam, highlights certain body parts. If your physician orders this type of scan, our client services coordinator will explain the contrast agent to you and answer your questions.

CT and MRI scans are "anatomic" imaging modalities, which means they look at size and shape of organs and body structures. A PET scan is a "metabolic" imaging modality, which means it looks at function. The information received from a PET scan is different from any other test that is available.

Examine the pulmonary arteries in the lungs to rule out pulmonary embolism, a serious but treatable condition. Visualize blood flow in the renal arteries (those supplying the kidneys) in patients with high blood pressure and those suspected of having kidney disorders. Narrowing (stenosis) of a renal artery is a cause of high blood pressure (hypertension) in some patients and can be corrected.

There is a risk of an allergic reaction—which may be serious—whenever contrast material containing iodine is injected. If you have a history of allergy to x-ray dye, your radiologist may advise that you take special medication for 24 hours before CTA to lessen the risk of allergic reaction. Another option is to undergo a different exam that does not call for contrast material injection.

MR study is performed first as it does not involve radiation. It provides excellent information regarding the soft tissues (nerves, muscles etc.) of the spine. However, CT studies better demonstrate bone and bony disease. Therefore, often the two are ordered when a spinal operation is performed.

The more information that your MRI specialist has when they review your study, the more specific the interpretation will be. Correlations with other studies are often helpful.

If you have a scan in the emergency room or as part of an inpatient hospital stay, your doctor does not need to get approval from BCBSNC for the scan.

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.

During RFA, we ablate the tumor and a margin of normal tissue surrounding the tumor to insure the entire tumor is ablated. We obtain a one week CT scan to evaluate the ablated lesion. The tumor area appears larger than on the pre-operative CT scan. This is a successful ablation. In the later CT scans this lesion shrinks in size and shows no blood flow. These are our criterias for a treatment success.

The more information that our radiologist has when reviewing your exam, the more specific the interpretation will be. Correlations with other studies are often helpful.