Guide to CT Scans

It stands for Computerised Tomography.

It sends several narrow beams of X-ray quickly around your body to produce a ‘cross sectional’ image. The computer will take the information from the scanner and produce a 2D or 3D image.

It will project red light lines onto the area of the body that needs to be X-rayed as you first go into the scanner.

It won’t touch you, or hurt you.  The bed will move up and into the ‘doughnut’ shaped machine. The bed will slowly move through the machine a few times as the scan is performed.

It makes a quiet electronic whirring noise when it’s taking the pictures, a bit like a washing machine on spin.

It is preferred that parents and carers don’t stay in the room with you, but they will be close by. Staff can talk to you over the intercom system.

It can take just a few moments for each picture. Try to keep still.