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How you prepare
By Mayo Clinic staff
How you prepare for a CT scan depends on which part of your body is being scanned. You may be asked to remove your clothing and wear a hospital gown. You'll need to remove any metal objects, such as jewelry, that might interfere with image results.
Contrast material
A contrast material is needed for some CT scans, to help highlight the areas of your body being examined. The contrast material blocks X-rays and appears white on images, which can help emphasize blood vessels, bowel or other structures.
Contrast material can enter your body in a variety of ways.
- Oral. If your esophagus or stomach is being scanned, you may need to swallow a drink that contains contrast material. This drink may taste unpleasant and cause diarrhea.
- Injection. Contrast agents can be injected into an intravenous line, to help view your gallbladder, urinary tract, liver or blood vessels. You may experience a feeling of warmth during the injection, or a metallic taste in your mouth.
- Rectal. A barium enema is a type of contrast material that helps visualize your intestines. It can make you feel bloated and uncomfortable.
To properly visualize some areas, you may need to fast for a period of time beforehand.
Preparing your small child for a scan
If your infant or toddler is having the CT scan, the doctor may give your child a sedative to keep him or her calm and still. Movement blurs the images and may lead to inaccurate results. Ask your doctor how best to prepare your child.
- Mettler FA. Computed tomography. Essentials of Radiology. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2005. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/169481595-5/0/1276/7.html?tocnode=49300943&fromURL=7.html#4-u1.0-B0-7216-0527-3..50004-4--cesec3_8. Accessed Nov. 6, 2009.
- CT-Body. Radiological Society of North America. http://radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=bodyct. Accessed Nov. 6, 2009.
- Barbara Woodward Lips Patient Education Center. About your CT scan. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2008.
- Safety: Radiation exposure in X-ray examinations. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/safety/index.cfm?pg=sfty_xray. Accessed Nov. 9, 2009.
- Radiation-emitting products: What are the radiation risks from CT? U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Radiation-EmittingProducts/RadiationEmittingProductsandProcedures/MedicalImaging/MedicalX-Rays/ucm115317.htm. Accessed Nov. 9, 2009.
- Contrast agents. American Society of Radiologic Technologists. https://www.asrt.org/media/pdf/contrast_eng.pdf. Accessed Nov. 9, 2009.
- CT: Abdomen and pelvis. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=abdominct. Accessed Nov. 9m 2009.
- Keeping kids still during exams. American Society of Radiologic Technologists. https://www.asrt.org/content/ThePublic/AboutRadiologicProcedures/KeepingKidsStillDuringExams.aspx. Accessed Nov. 9, 2009.
