A (CT) and (CAT) scans are both used to examine the body of the person. Both types of scans are used by healthcare facilitators to analyze the condition of the patient.
There are a lot of diagnostic centers offering CT scan services in NJ, but you should understand the difference between several types of CT scans. If you want to read the differences between them, dive in!
What Is A CT Scan?
In a CT scan, high technology is used for the purpose of reading the images of the body of the patient. The images are produced with the help of machines. The purpose is to examine the structure of your body. The pictures are taken to show the thin slices of the bones, organs, and blood vessels.
Traditional X-ray machines were used to detect a single spot. As the x-rays tend to travel through the body, they are absorbed in several different ways by the tissues. The tissue whose density is higher tends to create a whiter picture than other tissues against the black color of the film. Moreover, X-rays tend to produce 2D images. The CT scans have a doughnut-shaped tube that tends to rotate 360 degrees around the patient because the purpose is to provide a detailed view inside the person’s body.
How Does A CT Scan Work?
A CT scanner tends to emit narrow beams to the desired area and then continues to move on. On the other hand, an X-ray machine is only used for the purpose of sending radiation beams. The reason CT is used is because it creates a more detailed image as compared to the X-rays.
The X-ray detector which exists in a CT scanner is capable of detecting hundreds of several degrees of density. It can view tissues within a solid organ. This information is sent to a computer so that a complete 3-D cross-sectional image of the body part is displayed on the screen.
Therefore, a contrast dye is occasionally used to reveal particular structures more clearly. If 3-D imaging of the abdomen is needed, the patient may be required to consume a barium meal. During the scan, the barium tends to appear white while it passes via the digestive system.
Moreover, if the images of the lower body, such as the rectum, are needed, there are chances that the patient might be given a dose of barium. A contrast agent is likely to be injected into the veins if blood vessel pictures are the goal. The use of spiral CT, a relatively recent technique, may increase the accuracy and speed of CT scans. The beam follows a spiral route during scanning, collecting continuous data without pausing between images.
Thus, it is safe to say that a CT scan is a valuable tool that helps doctors diagnose a patient’s condition.
Difference Between CAT Scan And CT Scan
CAT scan is simply the advanced version of a CT scan, and it gives a more detailed image of the body. Thus, it gets easier for the health care facilitator to diagnose the diseases. Doctors used the name EMI scan for the machine used to examine a person’s body.
Later, the doctors used the term CAT frequently, but today, most of them use the term CT scan as a more simplified name for the process.
The Reasons CT Scan Is Performed
CT scan is performed for a variety of reasons, such as:
- It helps in diagnosing fractures or muscle disorders
- Another purpose is to understand the location of cancerous tumors.
- The doctors can also study the condition of the blood vessels and internal bleeding as well.
- The scan helps guide further treatment and procedures after assessing the patient.
- In the treatment of cancer, healthcare facilitators frequently examine the patient’s medical condition.
Limitations of CT Scan
CT scan is used frequently worldwide by doctors, but since the patient is exposed to harmful rays. Moreover, CT scans can tend to examine your body’s bones, tissues, and even blood vessels in great detail, so your body is exposed to rays.
The images created by these scans, on the other hand, are in different shades of black and grey. Thus, even a trained professional may find it difficult to distinguish one tissue type in different situations.
In addition to that, the contrast dyes are barium or iodine-based dyes that can be administered orally or intravenously (in your vein). These dyes boost the contrast and resolution of the CT scan’s final images, allowing for a more precise diagnosis. But, keep in mind that these dyes are harmful to people. They have certain drawbacks as well, and you should talk to your health care facilitator if you are already suffering from some disease.
The dyes, for example, are more likely to cause allergic reactions, and they’re also bad for you as they can irritate your body.
Preparation of CT Scan
If your doctor has asked you to go for a city scan, you need to take certain precautions. Be careful that don’t eat solid foods for up to 4 hours before your test. If your CT scan includes images of your abdomen, then eating solid foods might not produce a good CT scan.
If your doctor is utilizing oral contrast depending on the conditions of your CT scan. Moreover, you are most likely to be given the contrast and instructions regarding drinking the contrast. Moreover, you will also be given complete precautions that should be taken for the scan. Generally, you should drink the solution within an hour of your scan, with a portion of the solution being consumed fifteen minutes before the CT scan.
But do not worry; your doctor or your radiologist will give you proper instructions before the test. You will be expected to remove all the jewelry watches, hairpins, hearing aids, and several other things.
Final Thoughts
We hope you understand the difference between a CAT scan and a CT scan. Moreover, do not worry CT scans are useful for identifying issues within the blood vessels or other body parts that aren’t visible with imaging.
This is a painless scan and doesn’t take much time. A CT scan takes less than an hour to complete, but depending on who is interpreting the results, you may not receive results right away because your doctors might analyze the reports first. After the photos are analyzed, your doctor will tell you about your condition and what further steps you can take.