CT

Please read your appointment letter carefully for guidance on which location to come to, the arrival time and any advice on eating and drinking before your scan.

In some cases, you may be asked to drink water beforehand or to take some oral contrast. This will depend on the area of your body being scanned.

Please allow plenty of time to get to the CT department. You will be asked to come to either Addenbrooke’s Hospital CT Department, Ely Community Diagnostic Centre, or Sawston Medical Centre. Further details will be sent with your appointment letter.

Unlike MRI, metal can go in the CT scanner room and pass through the scanner. However, it must not be in the way of the part of the body we want to scan as it will affect the quality of the image. To avoid unnecessary waiting time and ensure an effective examination, we recommend patients remove all metal and jewellery from the body part to be scanned and ideally wear clothes without any metal i.e. avoid under-wired bras.

Before your scan, one of our team members may ask you to change into a hospital gown, however the majority of patients can be scanned in their clothes.

If you require hospital transport, please let us know before your appointment date, as we need to arrange for you to be scanned in the main CT department as we do not have a suitable area for patients to wait following their appointment at the community CT facilities.

During a CT scan it may be necessary to give you an injection of iodine-based contrast (a type of dye that highlights blood vessels and other structures in the body). This contrast injection will be administered by the radiographer, through a cannula (small plastic tube), which is usually placed in a vein in your arm. If you have previously had difficulty with a cannula please let us know before your appointment. We may arrange an appointment for you to be seen in the Vascular Access Unit (VAU) before your scan to avoid a similar experience.

The injection may make you feel warm as the contrast is kept in an incubator. Patients often describe a warm feeling as the dye moves through the blood vessels down the body and also a metallic taste in the mouth. The contrast dye sometimes causes side effects such as feeling nauseous, developing a skin rash, headache or dizziness. These side effects are usually mild and don't last very long.

If you are currently breastfeeding, you can continue to do so after the injection of contrast media. More information can be found in this patient information leaflet:

Advice for breastfeeding mothers after CT contrast injection

The procedure will be fully explained to you. Please feel free to ask the radiographer any questions before your scan. You will be asked to lie down on the CT table and keep as still as possible. It is important to try not to move during the CT scan however it usually will not last longer than five or ten minutes depending on the particular examination. The first picture taken gives us an overview of your body from which we then plan the ‘main scans’ from. If you are having the contrast injection then you will have this first and wait a few seconds for the ‘main scans’ to start.

The radiographer will leave the room whilst the scan is taking place. They can still see you on a TV screen. The scanner has a microphone built into it, so you can communicate with staff and also they can communicate with you.

If you are anxious about going into the CT scanner it is possible to visit the CT department, in advance of your appointment, to view the scanner. Please be aware the department itself is not able to give any medication to help calm patients. This will need to be prescribed in advance by your doctor.

Should you have any doubts about your examination please contact the CT Department as outlined in your letter.

Please note that if you have had an injection we will ask you to remain in the department for 15 minutes to check you are feeling okay before you go home.

After the scan, you can resume normal activities immediately. If however you have had a sedative, a friend or relative will need to take you home and stay with you for the first 24 hours.

Your CT scan needs to be reviewed by a radiologist (a doctor trained in interpreting scans and X-rays) and possibly discussed with other specialists. The radiographer will not be able to tell you what is on the scan or provide any results.

Once your scan has been reviewed by the Radiologists, they will send the report to your referrer. The referrer will then contact you to discuss the results. Unfortunately, we are unable to give specific time frames currently due to high demands in reporting. If you have the MyChart app, please note that results will not be available until after 21 days following a final report being issued. This is to allow time for your referrer to contact you and discuss next steps.

Non-invasive Post-mortem CT Scan

Addenbrookes Hospital currently work with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Coroner Service.

Coroners are tasked with investigating deaths where there is no known cause, or when it is unclear.

Traditionally, Invasive Post-mortems have been undertaken on patients who do not have an established cause of death, however recent technological advances in radiological imaging including CT scanning, has now provided a supplementary and even sometimes alternative to traditional post-mortem, without needing to open the body.

It is a legal requirement to establish a cause of death, and so consent from next of kin is not required for the Coroner to refer for a post-mortem.

The Coroner collects and analyses all the information surrounding a death, along with known medical history, to decide whether a post-mortem is needed. They will also decide which type of post-mortem is required, however this is based on the clinical questions and not family preferences.

What happens in a Non-invasive Post-mortem CT Scan

Once a non-invasive post-mortem CT scan is requested, if the patient is not currently resting in the Addenbrookes mortuary, they will be transferred to us.

Depending on the Coroner’s instructions, the patient may require an external examination prior to having the scan.

An NHS mortuary Anatomical Pathology Technologist will then transfer the patient to the CT department on the scheduled date where their scan will then be performed by NHS CT Radiographers. Patients are treated respectfully and with privacy and dignity throughout their entire CT scan.

The images produced during the scan are then transferred to a Consultant Radiologist with experience in post-mortem imaging, to develop a report.

Depending on the results of the CT scan, either the established cause of death will be provided to the Coroner, or further Post-mortem tests may be required.

Where and when the examination takes place

All Non-invasive Post-mortem CT scans take place in the CT department at Addenbrookes Hospital.

We aim to scan patients referred to us from the Coroner within 2/3 days of receiving the request. However, as only specific CT Radiographers undertake this type of scan, occasionally it can take slightly longer for the scan to take place. Please be assured we will organise for the scan to be performed as soon as possible after receiving the request.

Benefits of a Post-mortem CT scan

A Post-mortem CT scan is non-invasive, with no disruption to the body. Because of this, it is preferred to a Full Invasive post-mortem by many people with personal objections or those with specific religious or cultural beliefs.

Furthermore, images produced during a Post-mortem CT scan are securely stored, and so images can be reanalysed or viewed again in the future if necessary.

Limitations of a Post-mortem CT scan

In some cases, the circumstances surrounding a death may mean that a Non-invasive Post-mortem CT scan is not appropriate to help establish a cause of death. The type of Post-mortem required will be decided by the Coroner.

Additionally, the Coroner may decide that either both a Non-invasive Post-mortem CT and a Full Invasive post-mortem, or a Full Invasive post-mortem alone is required. This is because certain causes of death are not easily demonstrated on CT scans, and so using CT alone will not establish an accurate cause of death.

Further Information

If your family member has been referred to us to undergo a Non-invasive post-mortem CT scan, please be aware that staff in the CT department will not be able to discuss any details with you regarding the scan. If you have any questions please contact your Coroner’s Office.

Address:

London Road
Sawston
Cambridge
CB22 3HU

Telephone Number: 01223 217426 / 01223 245151

Opening times: Monday – Friday, 09:00 - 17:00

For more information please see our imaging services in the community page.

We have a permanent CT scanner at Ely CDC which is staffed by members of the CUH team.

Address:

Ely Community Diagnostic Centre
Princess of Wales Hospital
Lynn Road
Ely
CB6 1DN

Telephone: 01223 808552 / 01223 245151

Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 07:00 – 20:00hrs. Saturday and Sunday from 08:00-20:00hrs

More information can be found on the Cambridge Community Services website (opens in a new tab) and our imaging services in the community page.