Contents:
- Medical Video: How to prepare for a CT scan
- What is a CT Scan?
- Preparation before undergoing the examination procedure
- Is there a risk of carrying out this examination?
Medical Video: How to prepare for a CT scan
Are you asked by the doctor to do a CT scan? CT (computed tomography) A scan is an advanced medical examination that is usually done to help the doctor know the patient's health condition. Before doing this medical examination, you should know some things that must be prepared.
What is a CT Scan?
A CT scan is a medical examination that uses X-ray technology and a computer at the same time. This examination allows the medical team to see what is happening in the patient's body. You could say a CT scan is a tool used to read a person's body condition. This examination is clearer and more detailed than X-ray examination.
Doctors usually ask you to do a CT scan to see:
- Problems with bones and joints. This examination procedure is able to detect the presence of fractures or tumors in the bone.
- Detects tumors, blood clots, and infections.
- If you experience a special health condition such as cancer, heart disease, or liver dysfunction, the doctor uses this examination to see the progress of the disease you are suffering from.
Preparation before undergoing the examination procedure
Actually, you don't need to prepare anything to do this check. However, there are a number of things you should tell your doctor before undergoing a CT scan. Check out the list below.
- Pregnant or planning to become pregnant in the near future
- Having heart function disorders, such as heart failure
- Has diabetes
- Currently consuming metformin
- Have asthma
- Having kidney function disorders
While if you do not have these conditions, then you can just come to the hospital when your examination is scheduled. Shortly before the examination takes place, you will be asked to do the following.
- Take off your clothes and replace them with specially provided clothing from the hospital.
- Removing jewelry or accessories worn like a watch.
- Do not eat and drink a few hours before performing this examination procedure.
This examination only takes about 30-60 minutes, depending on the body part being examined.
Is there a risk of carrying out this examination?
Just like an X-ray, a CT scan uses X-rays to read your organs. So this examination should indeed not be done by pregnant women or infants. Because, X-rays can affect the development and growth of infants and fetuses.
If you are not pregnant, this examination is safe to do. You don't need to worry about X-ray exposure that you receive when the inspection is done. The radiation released by the X-ray has been regulated, so it does not pose a danger to your health.
There is a study that states that this examination procedure increases the risk of cancer and can damage DNA. However, this risk is very small to occur, possibly only 1 in 2,000 cases. So, CT scans are still considered a safe enough examination and can help doctors evaluate the condition of their patients.
Only, indeed in some cases, CT scans can cause allergies due to injections of drugs given before carrying out the examination. But take it easy, these side effects are rare. If you are still anxious to do this examination, then you should discuss this with the doctor who handles you.
