Abdominal CT

I have been very busy learning all of the abdominal protocols in CT. We have a specific protocol for everything. This can range from generalized abdominal pain, n/v, hematuria, renal mass, adrenal mass, liver issues, pancreatic issues, etc. Some cases have delayed images and some cases have a venous and arterial phase. On any day I will scan a combination of any or all of these protocols. One of my favorite abdominal protocols is a liver protocol. This study has a venous and arterial phase. The arterial phase shows the liver and vessels very bright and highlighted. The venous phase is still interesting but just looks like a general abdominal series.

Brain Bleed

This week in CT I scanned an 83 year-old female who had experienced trauma. She was not verbally responsive but she was awake. This patient had large hematomas on the anterior portion of her skull and bruising around one of her eyes. All of the bruising had begun to yellow indicating that her injuries were not new. After the head CT it was determined that she had a large bleed on the left anterior portion of her brain. The emergency room was not aware of any previous brain bleed from this patient. I am glad that we were able to help with this patient's treatment. However, I felt very sorry for this patient who had not been properly cared for at home.