A CAT scan stands for computerised axial tomography. It is a type of diagnostic imaging technique that uses a computer and rotating x-ray system. The computer and rotating x-ray system produces cross-sectional scan images of the inside of the body. A CAT scan and CT scan are different names for the same technique. It is painless, usually non invasive and poses very little risk. The scan images can show various body parts such as liver, kidney, lungs, bones, blood vessels etc. to make the final diagnosis for an effective treatment plan.
What Are the Uses of CT/CAT Scan?
A chest CT scan can be used to diagnose certain conditions pertaining to chest such as:
- Pneumonia
- Tuberculosis
- Tumours (benign and malignant)
- Cystic fibrosis
- Bronchiectasis
- Congenital abnormalities
- Patent ductus arteriosus
- Chronic lung diseases
- Interstitial lung diseases
- Pleuritis
- Cardiis
- Cardiomyopathy
Chest CT can be used to diagnose the cause of certain symptoms such as:
- Injuries to blood vessels
- Evaluating abnormalities in chest x-ray
- Injury to ribs
- Signs and symptoms of chest diseases
- Diagnose unexplained cough, chest pain, fever, shortness of breath
- Injury to spine
- Plan the treatment
- Plan radiation procedure
- Injury to lungs
- Evaluate tumour extent
- Injury to heart
Certain combined procedure scan help evaluating and examining diseases more clearly, these combined procedures ,may include –
- CT angiography
- PET CT Scan
- CT and fluoroscopy
- CT for guiding Biopsy
Preparation Before CT scan
- Precautions- You should avoid getting the CT scan if you are pregnant, or think that you are pregnant. Children and infants should also avoid the radiation based scans as the children and foetus are more susceptible to radiation and related damages.
- Clothing– You will be asked to wear a hospital gown instead of your clothes. You also need to remove any kind of jewellery before the scan such as
- Hairpins
- Hair Bands
- Eyeglasses
- Chains
- Necklaces
- Bangles
- Belts
- Keys
- Earrings
- Nose Rings
- Rings
- Purse
- Or other accessories
- Contrast dye– CT scan can be conducted as a plain CT or with contrast medium. The contrast media can enhance the quality of scan images, thereby helping your doctor to make good diagnosis. Certain considerations are to be followed for contrast based scan which are as mentioned below
- You should inform your doctor if you have kidney related disorders as contrast can worsen it or lead to other complications
- Diabetic patients should also inform their healthcare provider beforehand
- You will be asked to sign a consent form before conducting contrast based scan which talks about the possible risks and benefits related to contrast dye
- You should not eat anything 4-6 hours before the scan although you may drink clear fluids.
- Allergy – you should inform your healthcare provider about any known allergy. If you had allergic reactions to previous contrast based studies, there are chances that you may develop severe life threatening anaphylactic reactions again, this is why informing about any kind of allergy is essential. In these cases, the necessary changes and precautions are taken
What Are The Possible Risks of CAT Scan?
Although the scan is conducted by trained personnel and under safety guidelines, there are certain risks and side effects that you should know.
- If you are pregnant, did not tell your doctor and had the CT scan, your child may develop certain genetic mutations which may hamper its lifestyle.
- A slight chance of cancer is there, although it cannot develop due to a single scan but the cumulative effect of multiple scans can potentially damage your tissue cells (DNA) which may cause cancer development.
- Symptoms of already existing kidney disease can happen, complicating the situation.
- Allergic reactions can develop due to contrast medium. These allergic reactions manifest as
- Itching swelling and redness starting from the site of injection of contrast medium
- Headache
- Nausea or vomiting
- Lightheadedness, dizziness
- Difficulty breathing etc.
- Children being more sensitive towards radiation should not have repeated CT or other radiation based scans such as X-rays.
To Conclude
CT scan is a diagnostic tool which can be used to diagnose various conditions, including certain potentially fatal diseases such as cancer and its features. CT scan uses ionising radiations to create scan images of the inside of the body. These images can be stored in the computer for future reference as well. The best CT Scan centre in Delhi offers digital reports, 100% accurate results and reliable diagnosis.
