Ct cardiac gated with contrast

[MotherofTarantulas]

Hi everyone , hope you're all doing well . Sorry if this has been asked before i did use the search but nothing came up that was quite right .

I am going to the bri in bristol tomorrow for a ct cardiac gated with contrast and am really ner ous about it , can anyone tell me what its like ? Can i go home straight after or do i have to wait for a while ?also can i drive myself ? Also will i get the results the same day ?

Sorry for all the questions ,i know its prob silly but my anxiety is thru the roof about it all .

Thanks for reading .

Jo x 🙏

[RufusScamp]

Were you not given a contact number for the department in case you had any queries?I suspect the answers to some of your questions will be that it depends what they find. The BHF nurses may be able to give you some advice.

[MotherofTarantulas in reply to RufusScamp]

Thank you so much RufusScamp for replying to me . The only tel numbers that were on the letters were for cancelling or amending the appt 😕 nothing for advice or queries . I have read about it online but it doesnt answer whether i will be ok to drive myself or if i should get a taxi home etc . Jo

[Griff-64 in reply to MotherofTarantulas]

I drove to and from the appointment. No probs

[Griff-64]

If I understand "gated" correctly, your heart rate is monitored and images taken between heartbeats so they are sharper.The process itself is nothing to be concerned about.

I had to take a double dose of beta blockers prior to the appointment to lower my heart rate, when they called me for the scan, no change of clothes needed, had a cannula fitted, lots of gtn administered to bring my heart rate down even more.

Then given the dye through the cannula... 😜 Then the weirdest sensation of warming up from the inside, starting with my ears and spreading through my body. It only lasted a very short time.

Next, into the scanner. It didn't take long at all and it's absolutely painless.

I seem to remember waiting longer for the cannula to be removed when back in the waiting room than the whole procedure took.

Good luck 👍

[MotherofTarantulas in reply to Griff-64]

Griff-64 thank you so much , thats fab and exactly what i wanted to know , its put my mind at rest 😀. Thanks again . Jo x

[Griff-64 in reply to MotherofTarantulas]

You're welcome. I was a bit nervous before the appointment but there's nothing to it. You'll be fine!

[RufusScamp]

The two occasions I have been in for a procedure, I had a preliminary visit for blood and COVID tests, and was encouraged to ask questions. I was also given an information sheet that covered most, and a phone number for any more issues. These were in COVID minima, fortunately.I suppose different regions have different policies. I hope you get the information you need, and that all goes well.

[JulianM]

I've had two of these.

First time included a beta blocker and GTN spray, as mentioned by Griff-64, second time skipped that bit.

The first one was part of a research study, which I joined thinking I didn't have any significant problems, the second one was part of monitoring the condition found the first time round - an ascending aortic aneurysm. I'm now being followed up with echos and MRIs, so I've seen all three of the main scans.

First time round, I was most struck by the scanner itself - a kind of hybrid of Star Trek and 'the machine that goes ping', but I didn't wake up on another planet, or anything that exciting. The beta blocker and GTN combination also meant that I felt my pulse in places I don't usually - like my fingers - but not in a scary way.

Cardiac gating means they stick a couple of electrodes on your skin somewhere so they can freeze the motion of the heart by timing the scan in relation to the cardiac cycle. This is also why they might want to slow down your heart beat with a beta blocker. I had them on my chest, as I remember, but sometimes they put them on the wrists/arms. Completely harmless.

Second time round, the most memorable bit was being complimented by a nurse for 'nice veins' when the cannula was put in - I'll take anything like that as a positive ...

The contrast is iodine-based, to make the blood more visible in the scan. You will have had a kidney test before this, and you will be advised to drink some water / stay hydrated after the scan to help your kidneys get rid of it. It does, as described, give a strange warm sensation a little like passing urine, but without actually doing so, but you'll be warned about that and it's weird, not really uncomfortable at all, and quickly goes.

No problem with any activities afterwards. It'll be fine, and it's very informative for the medical team. All the best!

[MotherofTarantulas in reply to JulianM]

Thank you so so much thats really imformative , i feel much better about it all now . Just off to drive to the hospital , hope i can stay calm amd keep my heart rate down 😆 Jo .

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I was given a gtn pill to slowly deslove under my tongue. Most difficult part of the whole thing was trying to keep it their while conversing with the lovely people who were doing the procedure!