Getting a CT scan at an urgent care facility can be a trying encounter for some patients. However, you can be confident your experience will be an enjoyable one. Here is what you can anticipate when you come in for the process.
What It Is
A CT (computerized tomography) scan gives urgent care doctors with a cross-sectional picture of your bones and soft tissues, providing them much more details than they can get from x-rays alone. It is mainly used to analyze individuals who have experienced some kind of internal trauma due to a car accident or some other kind of incident, but it also has several other uses. For example, it can help your physician identify any issues that may be impacting your bones or muscle tissue or figure out the actual place of an illness, a tumor or a blood clot. CT tests also help guide doctors through surgeries, biopsies, and other techniques, and can help identify issues such as cardiovascular illness, melanoma, liver masses, and others.
What to Expect
Some individuals consider a CT scanning device to a big donut. You’ll be on a desk that slides through a little canal enclosed by a gantry. If you’re having images taken of your head, it may be placed in a unique kind of support so you remain still. During the scan, the desk will move through the canal as the gantry moves. All the while, a multitude of images will be taken of your body, during which you’ll listen to simply buzzing, clicking, and whirring sounds. You will be in contact a technologist who may ask you to keep your breathing periodically so that the images are as clear as possible.
After the Scan
Once your examination is over you should be able to easily continue your frequent routine. There is a chance that you may have been treated with a dye to help offer contrast to the images. If that’s the situation, you may be requested to remain in the workplace for a short while just to create sure you feel good.
