The patient should appear for the examination under fasting conditions (they should not consume solid food at least 6 hours earlier). In order to hydrate the organism well, in case of an examination with the use of contrast, it is recommended to drink ca. 1 litre of liquids (water, weak tea). During the examination it is good to wear loose, comfortable clothes without metal elements, such as buckles, bolts or buttons, because they can cause distortions to the image.

Shortly after the tomography it is possible to drive a car. Drugs can be taken before the examination, as tomography does not affect their action. The examination can also be performed in any moment of the menstrual cycle, also during menstruation. In the case of examinations planned in order to protect pregnant women against radiation, it is recommended to have the examination performed not later than on the 10th day of the menstrual cycle (in order to avoid being exposed to radiation in the case of early pregnancy)

What should the person performing the examination be informed about:

Before the examination:

  • earlier diagnosis of an allergy or occurrence in the past of any allergic reactions to drugs or iodine contrast agents
  • results of all previous examinations (in particular previous tomographies) and the current result of the level of creatinine in blood
  • bleeding tendencies (haemorrhagic diathesi)
  • pregnancy or suspected pregnancy

During the examination

During the examination, the patient, in spite of being locked, has a constant possibility to contact the examining doctors. During the examination, the patient should instantly report:

  • any sudden problems (e.g. claustrophobic feelings)
  • any symptoms after intravenous contrast administration (dyspnoea, dizziness, nausea)

After the examination:

Administration of contrast agents, often applied in computed tomography, can sometimes induce:

  • dizziness
  • itching
  • heat sensations
  • metallic taste in the mouth
  • heart palpitation

Occurrence of any of the above should be instantly reported to the medical staff.

After the completion of the examination, in order to excrete the contrast agent more easily from the organism, it is recommended to drink large amounts of fluids (ca. 2.5 litres of still water or unsweetened drinks during the next 24 hours)

Please appear for the visit 15 minutes earlier in order to fill in a “Computed Tomography examination questionnaire”.