Cardiac CT scan

[DerekSenna1]

I’ve been called to Hospital for a Cardiac C T scan

What should I expect and is there any questions I should be asking?

[BobD Volunteer]

No biggy Derek. If it is a CT scan you will have a canula inserted in your arm and lay in the machine while it takes images of your heart. A special contrast material is pumped into the canular and at that point you will think that you peed yourself. You didn't ! It is the normal reaction to the dye.

I don't think that you need to ask any questions as the report once printed will be sent to your cardiologist or EP but you can always request a copy to be sent to you. I doubt that you will understand it mind unless you know about cardiology.

There are also echocardiograms which use ultra sound and are even less of a problem which can tell a lot about your heart and its function. Think how they look at foetuses in pregnant ladies.

[DerekSenna1 in reply to BobD]

Thanks Bod D

[meadfoot]

I had one in December. It was so easy. They check you over beforehand, blood pressure, oxygen levels, weight, height, insert a cannula into your hand then off you go through to the scanner room in your hospital gown. There are a good number of staff caring for you.

Its a donut shaped scanner, not a tube like an mri so you are not enclosed in it. They attach ecg wires so you are monitored throughout and you can see the ecg waves and your heart rate on the screen on the scanner so know exactly what your heart is doing.

Your heart rate needs to be below 65 beats per minute to enable the scanner to get the best pictures. If your heart rate doesnt go below that which is hard when in a stressful situation, they give a dose of beta blocker through the cannula.

Some people are given a beta blocker for a few days in advance if a high heart rate is one of your problems. When heart rate is at a sufficiently low rate they are ready to move you into the scanner where they are to take the scan pictures.

Before they move you in they will spray a couple of puffs of a gtn spray under your tongue, this is to widen the arteries so they get good pictures.

They will do a run checking the machine etc and you will be asked to hold your breath then release it. They then inject the dye through the cannula which makes you feel as though your are weeing but its just a feeling, some people feel hot too, that feeling lasts only a couple of seconds. All the way through you are instructed what to do and need to be able to take in a deep breath and hold it until you are told to breath away again. This happens several times during the process. Best to practice holding your breath in advance. Its only for a few seconds anyway but somehow it feels longer.

They then check the pictures and unhook you from the ecg and you are allowed to go to the waiting room where you have to wait for around thirty minutes while they ensure you feel ok after the dye. A nurse will check your bp and oxygen again and if you feel ok you go home. Results go to your referring medic thereafter.

The whole scan takes less than twenty minutes to half an hour and really is a breeze. You may be in the department for about an hour and a half in all including scan pre and post checks.

[DerekSenna1 in reply to meadfoot]

Meadfoot

Thanks for the very detailed information and reassurance.

[DevonHubby1]

I think its a CT Angiogram. Normal anhiograms can trigger AF so the CT version is much safer if you suffer from AF. Basically it will show how good the blood vessels are around your heart. My wife had one to rule out angina as a possible reason for her chest pains.

[DerekSenna1 in reply to DevonHubby1]

DevonHubby1

Thanks for your input