American College of Radiology, Breast Imaging Center of Excellence

CT Scans (Computed Tomography)

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CT Scans (Computed Tomography)

A CT scan is a test that your doctor may order to view an area of interest in cross-section. A good analogy would be to think of your body as being a loaf of bread and every ‘slice' would be a picture on the CT exam. The test involves you lying on a table and moving in and out of a donut shaped hole. X-rays and computers generate the final images for a Radiologist to view or ‘read'.

Lowell General Hospital has received a three-year accreditation for Computed Tomography imaging services by the American College of Radiology (ACR).

The ACR gold seal of accreditation represents the highest level of image quality and patient safety. It is awarded only to facilities meeting ACR Practice Guidelines and Technical Standards after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field.

Find out more about our 64-Slice CT Scanner.

Learn more about our new screening test called Heart CT Calcium Score Scan

Types of CT Exams

Sinus or Maxillofacial
Head or Cranial
Chest
Abdomen and/or Pelvis
Extremities such as arms, legs, hands, wrists; good for seeing a fracture or ‘break'
CT Angiography (CTA), images of the body's vessels.

Preparation for CT Exams

Oral and IV Contrast:

Depending on which test your doctor has ordered for you to have, we may have to give you an oral contrast to drink which will highlight the digestive tract on the CT exam. Sometimes in addition to this drink or instead of it, we will give you an intravenous contrast which will highlight the arteries and veins on the CT exam. Your doctor and the Radiologist, who is the doctor that reads the CT, will determine which contrast you will receive.

Not all CT Exams require preparation, but for those that do, we have provided instruction online for your convenience: