FAQ

X-rays are a type of radiation called electromagnetic waves. The amount of radiation you receive from a single x-ray is very low. Technologists are trained to keep radiation exposures down to a minimum while ensuring optimum diagnostic accuracy.

Female patients who are, or might be pregnant, must inform the referring doctor, technologist or radiologist prior to having any x-rays.

Certain X-Rays require fasting. Please check the specific test for further preparations. Please notify the radiology department if:
1) you had a similar X-Ray recently
2) the patient is a women who is or might be pregnant

Your time with us will depend on the type of x-ray being done as well as your mobility or physical condition. The process of taking a single x-ray will last only a few minutes, however, some examinations require that x-rays be taken in different positions. More complex imaging or more than one body part to be x-rayed requires more time to complete.

An Ultrasound Test is carried out by a doctor who has been specially trained for the purpose. An Ultrasound Test usually takes between 20 minutes to an hour, and normally doesn’t require any special preparation.

For an Ultrasound of the gall bladder or liver (also called Ultrasound Upper Abdomen or Ultrasound Whole Abdomen), the individual needs to fast or abstain from any kind of eating for several hours before the Ultrasound begins. Some individuals may feel more comfortable in loose-fitting clothes for the duration of the Test.

A bladder that is full of water is able to generate better pictures or images of the uterus and other organs (since air is a bad conductor of ultrasound and makes the scan a failure). Therefore, in the case of an Ultrasound for a woman who has early pregnancy and individuals for lower abdomen ultrasound, plenty of water must be drunk – and the individual must be careful not to urinate for some time before the Test.

In the case of an External Ultrasound, the Transducer (a wand-like instrument) is placed over the part of the body (for example, the heart or the abdomen) that needs to be studied and has been administered a lubricating gel before-hand for this purpose. This process is usually free of any kind of pain or discomfort.

An ultrasound scan involves transmitting high frequency sound waves through the belly into the uterus. These bounce off the baby and the returning echoes are translated by a computer into an image on a screen that reveals the baby’s position and movements.

Most parents look forward to their scan because it gives them the first glimpse of their baby. The doctor will give you an ultrasound report with a printout of your baby’s images. However, it is important to remember that the main purpose of the scan is not to provide the first photo for your baby album. It is to check that your baby is growing and developing normally.

Depending on which stage of pregnancy they are done at, ultrasound scans can:
· Check your baby has a heartbeat
· Say whether you are pregnant with one baby or more
· Detect an ectopic pregnancy where the embryo implants outside of the womb, usually in the Fallopian tube.
· Find out the cause of any bleeding you may be having
· Accurately date your pregnancy by measuring your baby
· Assess the risk of Down’s syndrome by measuring fluid at the back of your baby’s neck at 11-14 weeks (a scan knows as nuchal translucency scan).
· Examine your baby to see if all the organs have developed normally
· Assess the amount of amniotic fluid and locate the placenta.
· Measure your baby’s rate of growth over several scans.

Due to the alarming rise in female foeticides, disclosing the baby’s sex is punishable by law. It is as much an offence for you to ask about the sex of your baby as it is for the doctor to disclose it. Most hospitals will have you sign a document prior to your ultrasound, which states that you will not ask the doctor or sonographer about the sex of your unborn baby. Although ultrasounds are capable of doing so, hospitals, doctors are not permitted to disclose the sex of your unborn baby.

If you’re having a scan in early pregnancy, you’ll need to drink several glasses of water beforehand so that your uterus is pushed out of your pelvis by your bladder.

If your baby is still too deep in your pelvis, or if you are overweight, the images will not be very clear, so a transvaginal scan may be necessary. The vaginal transducer or probe is long and narrow to fit comfortably inside your vagina. The doctor or sonographer will usually use a condom to cover the transducer and will lubricate this with plenty of gel so it slides in easily. It is not necessary to go in very deeply, and it will not harm you or your baby in any way. Vaginal scans give a much clearer picture of your baby, especially at a very early stage of pregnancy.

An abdominal scan is painless except for the discomfort of the transducer pressing on your tummy if you have a very full bladder.

Ultrasounds have been used in pregnancy for more than 40 years and medical research has found no side effects.

Ultrasound scans during the first trimester are mainly done to rule out ectopic pregnancy, assess the age of the foetus and to confirm a normal or multiple pregnancy.

Ultrasound scans during the second trimester include the nuchal translucency scan done between 11 to 14 weeks to assess the risk of Down syndrome in your child and the anomaly scan at 20 weeks to see the baby body parts in greater detail.

About half of all major abnormalities will be seen on a scan and half will not be seen. This means that even if your scan is normal, there is a small chance that your baby will still have a problem.
The following information is published by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in the UK. It shows what chance there is of certain serious abnormalities (in the rare eventuality that your baby has one) being picked up at a 20-week scan.
· Anencephaly (absence of the top of the head) – 99 percent
· Exomphalos/gastroscisis (defects of the abdominal wall) -90 percent
· Major limb abnormalities (missing or very short limbs) -90 percent
· Spina bifida (open spinal cord) -90 percent
· Major kidney problems (missing or abnormal kidneys) -85 percent
· Diaphragmatic hernia (hole in the muscle separating chest and abdomen) -60 percent
· Hydrocephalus (excess fluid within the brain) -60percent
· Down’s syndrome (some babies with Down’s may have heart or bowel problems that may be seen on the scan) -40 percent
· Major heart problems (defects of chambers, valves or vessels) – 25 per cent
· Autism -never seen
· Cerebral palsy – never seen.
Some problems may not be visible on scan until later in your pregnancy. Heart defects may become more obvious as your baby gets bigger. Some bowel problems, such as obstructions, may not be visible until later.

The third trimester scans are usually growth scans to assess the weight of the baby and see the amount of fluid around it. In certain situations, Doppler ultrasound may be required to assess the fetal blood flow especially in high risk pregnancies.

NT + NB scan (nuchal traslucency and nasal bone scan) is done at 11 weeks to 14 weeks of the pregnancy, to assess chromosomal and other anomalies.

Level II scan / Anomaly scan is performed at 18 weeks to 22 weeks of the pregnancy, to assess structural defects and chromosomal anomalies.

Ultrasound guided Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology is a diagnostic procedure that inserts a small needle into a suspicious mass under Ultrasound guidance to extract some cells which are then visualized under the microscope.

No, CT imaging itself should cause no pain. CT imaging requires that the patient remain still during the examination. For some patients, keeping still for some time may be uncomfortable. The CT examination itself causes no bodily sensation.

CT imaging examinations that require the patient to receive iodine contrast injection may cause slight, temporary discomfort while the intravenous needle is placed (see below section “do I need an injection?”).

Yes, CT imaging is considered a safe examination. In general, the diagnostic benefit of a CT scan usually outweighs the risk of x-ray radiation exposure or injections of imaging contrast and use of sedatives during the scan. Patients should inform the radiologist or technologist if they have a history of allergies (especially to medications, previous iodine injections, or shellfish), diabetes, asthma, a heart condition, kidney problems, or thyroid conditions.

Most CT departments or centers offer a wide array of computed tomography (CT) imaging examinations. Depending on the type of exam you will receive, the length of the actual procedure will typically be between 10 minutes and 45 minutes. A few involved CT examinations take longer than 45 minutes.

Also, many CT exams require the patient to hold their breath several times. This helps to eliminate blurring from the images, which can be caused by breathing or other patient motion. Please discuss specific questions about the duration of your CT imaging examination with the technologist before your exam.

Yes, it is preferable to have your doctor’s a referral (prescription) with clinical details in order for you to receive a computed tomography (CT) imaging examination. CT scan protocols may have to be selected according the clinical judgment. If you have a previous imaging study, which suggested CT for further evaluation, please bring it with you.

You should not move when you are on the CT table and the images are being acquired. It is important that you not move the body part being imaged, for example your head, until the entire CT exam is complete. CT exams of the chest and abdomen require the patient to hold their breath for a short period of time, for example, 10 to 25 seconds. This eliminates blurring in the image caused by breathing or other patient motion.

You may talk to the technologists or ask a question in between CT data acquisitions.

No, CT uses x-ray and only the person being imaged should be in the CT scanner room during the examination.

Not everyone needs an injection for CT imaging. When a contrast injection is needed, a pharmaceutical contrast agent made of iodine is used. This is only done when the radiologist and/or the referring physician have determined that it is necessary for diagnostic purposes. Iodine contrast is used to make specific organs, blood vessels or tissue types “stand out” with more image contrast in the resulting picture. This highlights the structure of the specific organs or vessel to better show the presence of disease or injury. The referring doctor provides the CT center with information about the patient’s medical condition and the goal of the CT imaging procedure being ordered (for example, to diagnose cause of intense back pain). The decision to use or not to use an injection of CT contrast is made based on this information and the body part being examined.

Typically, patients are instructed to wait for 24 hours after receiving the CT contrast injection before breast feeding again. Patients may wish to pump breast milk prior to the CT exam and store it for use during this 24-hour period. Always check with the radiologist and the imaging center for their specific recommendations.

Pregnant woman should not have a CT exam or any x-ray examination, especially if the woman is in her first trimester (first of three-3 month periods of pregnancy). Depending on the condition, there may be other exams available, such as ultrasound, to help diagnose a medical condition. Pregnant women should always inform their imaging technologist or radiologist that they are pregnant, or may be pregnant.

CT Enterography is a special study for the evaluation of the gastro-intestinal tract.

CT Urography is a special study for the evaluation of the urinary tract.

Short Description

Sky Diagnostics provides cardio diagnostic tests . The various tests conducted are to understand and diagnose diseases, injury, and congenital (present at birth) or acquired abnormalities of the heart.

• Electrocardiogram (ECG). This test records the electrical activity of the heart, shows abnormal rhythms (arrhythmias), and can sometimes detect heart muscle damage.
• Stress test (also called treadmill or exercise ECG). This test is done to monitor the heart while walking on a treadmill or pedal a stationary cycle. We also monitor your breathing and blood pressure. A stress test may be used to detect coronary artery disease, or to determine safe levels of exercise after a heart attack or heart surgery. This test can also be done using special medicines that stress the heart in a similar manner as exercise does.
• Echocardiogram (also known as echo). An echo is a non-invasive test that uses ultrasound waves to evaluate your heart’s chambers and valves, as well as its pumping function. The echo sound waves create an image on the monitor as an ultrasound probe is passed across the skin over your heart.

Neurology tests are conducted to diagnose peripheral neuropathy. Depending on patient’s symptoms, medical history and physical examination, various tests are recommended as diagnostic measure. Sky Diagnostics conducts the following tests:

• Electrodiagnostic tests- This measure the electrical activity of muscles and nerves. By measuring the electrical activity they are able to determine if there is nerve damage, the extent of the damage and potentially the cause of the damage. Frequently the neurologist will recommend common, non-invasive neurological evaluations such as electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) testing.

Other tests include Visual Evoked Potential (VEP) , Somatosensory evoked potential (SEP or SSEP) and Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry (BERA).