Hospital installs new CT scan

Banner Churchill Community Hospital now boasts a 16-slice spiral CT scan, a piece of diagnostic imaging equipment hospital staff describe as "cutting edge" and say will speed examinations and lead to better diagnoses.

A CT scan, which stands for computed tomography and is often referred to as a CAT scan, uses x-ray technology to obtain images of the body from different angles to show cross-sections of bone, organs and soft tissue.

The technology, which as been around since the early 1970s, aids physicians in diagnosing a variety of conditions such as cancer, blood clots, infections and can help determine bone density. It is also used on trauma victims to quickly identify any internal injuries.

The scans produce high-resolution, three-dimensional images of the body similar to the diagrams found in anatomy textbooks. The images are reproduced in color, which is determined by a tissue density scan.

The 16-slice Toshiba Aquilion CT at BCCH replaces a single-slice unit which took significantly longer to operate and produced lower-quality images, said Tim Stephens, director of diagnostic imaging at Banner Churchill Community Hospital.

The roughly $800,000 setup is one of a handful of 16-slice CT units in Nevada, he said. It's been operational for two weeks, and additional software was still being installed Tuesday.

Undergoing a CT scan is a minimally-invasive and painless experience. During the exam, patients lie on a table which is slowly moved into the round opening of the donut-shaped device. All that is heard is a clicking sound. Patients drink a barium solution prior to the scan to enhance image visibility and must complete a questionnaire and medical history.

CT scans at BCCH are only available through physician referrals.

The new technology means quicker examinations, for BCCH patients, Stephens said. Oftentimes, the required paperwork before the exam takes longer than the scan itself, he said.

Exams that once took several minutes can be done in a matter of seconds, a vital time savings when trauma victims are involved.

"The ability to diagnose is greatly improved," he said.

The unit's increased speed also eliminates distortion caused by breathing, the normal movement of organs and objects like dental fillings and orthopedic hardware, he said.

Dr. John Griffith, a radiologist at BCCH, said the new CT unit will improve diagnosis of cardiovascular problems by virtue of the more detailed images. Individual blood vessels can now be seen.

Performing a pulmonary angiogram previously required the threading of a catheter into an artery, he said.

The new CT unit may also allow for virtual colonoscopies and osteoporosis screenings in the future, Griffith said.

Josh Johnson can be contacted at jjohnson@lahontanvalleynews.com