Please show up 15 minutes before the scheduled time to complete a medical questionnaire on chronic diseases, allergies, medication taken and any contraindications for tomography. If possible, we recommend that you print the survey and fill it out at home. The survey can be downloaded HERE (link). If there is a need to administer the contrast by the intravenous route, the nurse will put on a venflon just before the start of the examination. Contrast agents applied by us belong to high class, modern, non-ionic preparations. The patient must have fasted before administration of the contrast agent.

Computed tomography in pregnant women is absolutely contraindicated except for states of higher necessity (such as the state of direct threat to life) and lack of possibility to use other imaging methods. All female patients of child-bearing age should make sure that they are not pregnant before examination.

Apart from the above, contraindications to perform the examination are mainly related to contraindications to the administration of iodine contrast agent. These include allergic reactions to iodine or iodine contrast agents occured in the past. Allergy susceptibility and bronchial asthma are not a contraindication to the examination, but they increase the risk of allergic reactions after contrast. Administration of a contrast agent may impair the function of the kidneys, therefore patients should report for the examination with the current test result of serum creatinine. Contraindication to the administration of the contrast agent is also unbalanced hyperthyroidism. Patients with hyperthyroidism should have a certificate from the endocrinologist about the possibility of administering a contrast agent. Since a high dose of iodine is provided during the examination, contrast tomography should not be performed prior to the planned isotope diagnosis of the thyroid gland or radio-iode treatment. Other rare diseases such as muscle fatigue, multiple myeloma, chromocytoma, sickle cell anaemia may be a contraindication to perform the test.

During the examination, the patient is monitored by the laboratory staff and is able to report any sudden ailments. The examination process is painless. Often there can be short-term, unpleasant sensations associated with the administration of a contrast agent in the form of a feeling of heat, metallic taste in the mouth, urinary urgency or feelings of urination, which pass after a very short time. The patient is supervised by a technician, doctor and nurse, and commands are given by the microphone. The majority of CT examinations last from a few to several minutes, depending on the area under examination and the number of images required. It is very important to remain motionless during the test and to follow the breathing voice commands, as otherwise the images may have a limited diagnostic value.

After the examination with the administration of a contrast agent, the patient is asked to spend several dozen minutes in the laboratory for safety. If there are no side effects, the patient can leave the site after the nurse has removed the venipuncture. The patient is asked to drink at least two litres of fluid a day for the next two days after the examination with the contrast agent, which supports its efficient excretion from the body.