A computerized axial tomography scan, commonly known as a "Cat Scan" is a CT scan is used to process your body's interior images through a computer generating cross-sectional images of your body. In each of these images your body is shown as an x-ray "part" of the section, which is documented on a film. This documented image is called by its medical term which is "tomogram".

For some Cat Scan procedures it is required that the patient have a contrast die inserted into the spinal fluid to get a crisper and cleaner image of the spine, The spinal cord, and the nerves are related with that area. A CT scan is capable of identifying tumors, cysts and infections within the body.

A Cat Scan is a fairly painless procedure that can give your doctor an extensively exact image of your body shapes and can also be used as a tool in obtaining biopsies or tissue samples for a pathologist to analyze and recognize possible health problems.

Advantages of CAT SCANS

Rapid usage of scans, also known in the past as CT angiograms, is surging momentum in USA medicine. Some physicians stand by the new cutting edge technology to reveal heart diseases that older technology would not have found. Physicians claim that a CT heart scan can display data that the older angiogram could not. If a CT heart scan reveals plaque which a physician plans to heal with a stent, a typical angiogram will still be necessary to ascertain how to insert the stent. Therefore, a CT scan does not necessarily get rid of the requirement for a standard angiogram.

Disadvantages of CAT SCANS

Risk of Cancer from radiation exposure. The effective radiation dose from this procedure is about 10 mSv, which is about the same as the average person receives from background radiation in three years.

Women should always inform their physician or x-ray technologist if there is any possibility that they are pregnant.

CT scanning is, in general, not recommended for pregnant women because of potential risk to the baby.

Nursing mothers should wait for 24 hours after contrast material injection before resuming breast-feeding.

The risk of serious allergic reaction to contrast materials that contain iodine is rare, and radiology departments are well-equipped to deal with them.

Children should have a CT study only if it is essential for making a diagnosis and should not have repeated CT studies unless absolutely necessary

Source for disadvantages; http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm...

American College of Radiology, American College of Cardiology / American Heart Association, American Association of Physicists in Medicine, American Medical Association-

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