CAT Scan
CAT scan (or CT scan) stands for Computerized Axial Tomography. It's a way of using a spinning x-ray and computer to make high-resolution images of the inside of your body. You lie flat on a table that moves through the machine quickly and takes many circular pictures. A computer then puts those pictures together to complete your exam. Any part of your body can be captured and a technologist instructs the CAT scan where to begin and end taking pictures. To enhance difficult to make out areas, some CAT scans are done after injecting you with a special contrast (dye) to clarify indistinct areas. You may also be asked to drink a mixture of contrast, which will highlight your stomach and colon.
CAT Scan Hours of Operation at Franklin Memorial Hospital
Full coverage - Monday through Friday: 7:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Limited exams - Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
After hours call is provided for emergencies only
Contrast Required for Some Common Exams
| Scan | Contrast Required | Condition or Area Evaluated |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Sometimes requires IV contrast | Strokes, hemorrhage, tumors, aneurysms, fractures |
| Abdomen, Abdomen and Pelvis | Usually requires both oral and IV contrast | Abdominal injury, masses, appendix, ovarian or renal cysts, aneurysms, biliary disease including pancreas |
| Extremities | Sometimes requires IV contrast | Stability of fractures, bony tumors/cysts, soft tissue masses |
| Arterial Studies | Requires IV contrast, sometimes requires oral contrast | Carotids, aorta, kidneys, and pulmonary for embolus, occlusion, or stenosis |
| Spine | No contrast required | Stenosis, masses, and fractures |
| Chest | Sometimes requires IV contrast | Nodules, lung masses, suspected embolism, lung diseases or conditions |
