CT scan procedure to detect heart disease & bull; hello healthy

Computerized Tomography (CT) scan of the heart, also known as calcium-score screening heart scan, is a test used to detect calcium that has accumulated into atherosclerotic plaque in the arteries of the heart, in patients with heart disease. This is one of the most effective methods of detecting the buildup or thickening of calcium in the heart before signs of the disease appear. The more calcium buildup, the higher the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis, which also indicates a possible pattern of the coronary system and a higher risk of developing other heart problems in the future. Your doctor will usually use this test to evaluate your risk of developing disease in the heart arteries in the future.

In some cases of heart disease, such as atherosclerotic “thin plaque” which may not be detected by CT scan, it is important to remember that this test cannot be a 100% benchmark in predicting the risk of dangerous heart diseases, such as heart attack. Your doctor may order you to have a coronary CT angiogram (CTA) to look directly at the arteries of your heart. With a CTA, a picture of your heart artery will be seen. CTA is the test that is currently often performed to complement CT scans.

What is the purpose of doing a CT scan?

A CT scan will provide detailed images of the heart and heart arteries. This test can diagnose or detect the following diseases:

• Plaque found in the arteries of the heart, which can determine your risk of developing heart disease
• Congenital heart disease (problems with the heart that occur from birth)
• Heart valve problems
• There is a problem with the giving artery supply on the heart
• Heart tumor
• Problems with the pumping function of the heart

What needs to be prepared before undergoing a heart CT scan?

You may need to take some further medical measures. However, you should avoid caffeine and cigarettes starting 4 hours before the test. This CT scanner uses X rays. For your safety, try to keep the amount of radiation given to a minimum. Because X-rays can be dangerous for fetal development, this procedure is not recommended for those of you who are pregnant. Tell your doctor if you have:

• Pregnant
• Currently undergoing radiation therapy

The function of the dye is to help visualize the heart

You may also be injected with a contrast dye to help the CT scanner visualize your heart arteries.

This contrast dye will be given through a vein (IV) in your hand or your arm. If you are going to be injected with this dye, you may be asked not to eat or drink anything for 4-6 hours before the test.

Before being injected with this contrast dye, here are the things you need to do:

• Tell your doctor if your body has had a reaction to an injection of the dye for radiation or other treatment. You may be asked to take certain medications before the test so that your body can "accept" this contrast dye.
• Tell your doctor about any medications you are currently taking, as you may be asked not to take them for a while before the test, including diabetes medications and metformin (Glucophage).

After this contrast dye is injected into your body, you may experience the following:

• Hot sensation
• Metal taste in mouth
• Your body feels warm

These sensations are normal and usually go away within a few seconds.

What will happen during the CT scan?

• You will be dressed in a hospital gown and asked to remove all your accessories or jewelry. Then the nurse at the hospital will measure your height, weight and blood pressure. It is also possible that the nurse will draw your blood for fat analysis.
• You will lie on the scanner table.
• The doctor / technologist will clean three areas on your chest and place electrodes on those areas. For men, it is recommended to shave some of the hair on the chest so that the electrodes can stick. These electrodes will be connected to an electrocardiograph (ECG) monitor which will measure the electrical activity of your heart during the test.
• During the scan, you can feel the scanner table moving inside the scanner that is shaped like a donut. This high-speed CT scan will capture multiple images synchronized with your heartbeat.
• It could be a 3D model of your heart being scanned.
• You should not move during the test, as this may blur the image. You may also be asked to hold your breath for a few moments.
• The entire test lasts approximately 10 minutes

The cardiac radiologist will then analyze these images to see if there is calcification in the heart arteries using a sophisticated computer program. If no calcium is detected, the test result is considered negative. However, this does not include thin non-calcium plaques. If there is calcium in the heart arteries, the computer will create a calcium "score" that estimates the likelihood of heart artery disease.

What happens after a CT scan of the heart?

You can resume your normal activities and eat as usual after you have had a CT scan of your heart. The results of this scan will show:

• The amount and density or thickness of calcium plaque in the heart arteries
• Calcium value

The results of a CT scan of your heart will be evaluated by a team of heart specialists, including cardiac radiologists and cardiologists. This team will evaluate your calcium score and CT angiogram, combined with other risk factors such as risk factor evaluation, blood pressure, and fat analysis, to determine your risk of developing disease in the heart arteries going forward. This team will provide recommendations on lifestyle, medication, and additional heart tests to treat any heart disease you may be experiencing.

Risks of a cardiac CT scan

1. Exposed to beams of radiation

CT scans do expose your body to more radiation than X-rays. Too often your body is scanned with X-rays or CT scans can increase your risk of cancer. However, if you only undergo this scan once, there is little risk of this happening.

2. Allergy to contrast dyes

Maybe some of you are allergic to contrast dyes. Tell your doctor or operator when the scan will take place if you have an allergy to contrast dyes. Here are the signs if you are allergic to contrast dyes:

• The most common contrast dye is a contrast dye containing iodine that is injected into your vein. If someone is allergic to Iodine, the person will vomit, have a runny nose, itch, or may develop red spots.
• If you still need to have contrast dye injections, then you may be advised to get antihistamines or steroids before the test.
• The kidneys help your body to "get rid of" iodine. If you have kidney disease or diabetes, you will be given extra fluids after the test to help clear iodine from your body.
• Although it is very rare, contrast dyes can cause the very dangerous allergy that is anaphylaxis. If you find it difficult to breathe during the test, quickly notify the scanner operator.