CT Scan - Chest / Upper Abdomen Test

Computed Tomography or CT Scan is one of the advanced X-ray procedures. Different from the usual X-ray, CT scan employs multiple X-ray beams and creates a detailed, 3D-like image of the body parts. CT scan of chest—also CT scan thorax—focuses on lungs and is designed for identification of various lung-related disorders. Because CT scan chest gives elaborated images of lungs, it detects and predicts the presence of lung cancer at early stages. A CT scan of abdomen provides the details of the blood vessels, bones and organs in the abdominal cavity.

Let your physician know if you have particular allergies, are pregnant, have diabetes or weigh
more than 135 kg because CT scanners have a weight limit.
Your physician may ask you to do the following prior to the scan:
1. fast for 2–4 hours,
2. stop taking particular medicines,
3. drink a large glass of oral contrast (chemicals to get better images) wait for 60–90
minutes,
4. wear a loose clothing that is comfortable and
5. remove items like dentures, jewellery, hair clips, hearing aids, eyeglasses, etc.
Depending on the type of CT scan – chest/upper abdomen, the contrast may be:
1. delivered through a vein in your forearm or hand,

2. given via the rectum using an enema or
3. taken orally in a liquid form.

CT scan is done for the following: Chest: analysing the abnormalities in the chest; detecting lung cancers or tumours and blood clots or internal injuries; monitoring the effect of lung cancer drugs on cancer; etc. Abdomen: detecting pain or a mass in the abdomen; locating kidney stones; diagnosing cancers, appendicitis, or Crohn’s disease; etc.

A regular CT scan of chest or abdomen takes about 30 seconds to a few minutes or 10–30
minutes, respectively.
1. After wearing the hospital gown, the CT technician will help you lie on the table in a
certain position. Straps or pillows will be used to keep you in that position for the
whole test.
2. You have to hold your breath for short periods.
3. The technician will then move the table into the scanner and the x-ray beams will
surround you.
4. You have to stay still because movement can cause blurring of the images.
5. After scanning, the images will be given to your physician to read and interpret the
results.