(2) Philips Brillance 64 slice CT Scanners

The following instructions are designed to help ensure the best possible outcome for your CT Virtual Colon Exam. You should have the following items in your possession to complete the prep properly (Available over-the-counter at any pharmacy):

(1) bottle of Magnesium Citrate 10 oz., (4) Dulcolax Bisacodyl Tablets and (1) disposable enema bottle - water or saline if needed (see below). Refer to product warnings and literature for further information.

The following instructions are designed to be a checklist for you. To ensure that the colon is sufficiently clean for the examination, it is very important that you follow all the instructions very closely and avoid any food intake that is not listed within the prep.

TWO DAYS PRIOR TO PROCEDURE  

You may eat a normal meal schedule (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) choosing from the items listed below. Please avoid excessive portion sizes and/or excessive snacking. Avoid all raw fruits and vegetables, or items not covered on this list. Do not eat anything with nuts or seeds (including popcorn).

Approved Food List

• Beverage: Water, Fruit flavored drinks, limited coffee, tea, carbonated beverages and Gatorade (not red)
• Bread/Cereal: White breads (refined), saltine crackers and cooked rice (no wheat breads)
• Dairy: Low fat milk and low fat plain yogurt (limit 2 cups)
• Dessert: Gelatin (not red) and popsicle (not red)
• Fruit/Fruit Juice: Clear fruit juice and canned fruit (no seeds, skin or membranes)
• Meats: Plainly prepared fish, poultry and eggs
• Miscellaneous: Salt, pepper, jelly (no jam), sugar, honey and syrup
• Potato/Substitute: Potato with no skin, white rice and spaghetti/macaroni noodles
• Soup: Bouillon broth, strained soups and soups made with allowed meat

5 P.M. Swallow one Bisacodyl tablet followed by drinking 8 ounces (1 full glass) of fluid.

DO NOT CHEW TABLETS (see warnings: Bisacodyl tablets)

6 P.M. Swallow one more Bisacodyl tablet followed by drinking 8 ounces (1 full glass) of fluid.

(Most patients have cramping and a bowel movement within 2 – 6 hours after taking the Bisacodyl tablets)

DAY PRIOR TO PROCEDURE  

A.M. Begin a clear liquid diet as soon as you wake up. Options include: Apple juice, white grape juice, clear broths, coffee and tea without creamer, Gatorade, Crystal Lite, soft drinks, Jell-O, and water. Avoid all red and purple juices and Jell-O. You should drink as much fluid as you need to stay hydrated. This is more important when you start having watery bowel movements.

Noon Drink one bottle of Magnesium Citrate with clear liquids, followed by (1) full 8 oz. glass of water.

5 P.M. Swallow one more Bisacodyl tablet followed by drinking 8 ounces (one full glass) of fluid.

6 P.M. Swallow one more Bisacodyl tablet followed by drinking 8 ounces (one full glass) of fluid – Continue clear liquid diet until Midnight. You should have multiple loose bowel movements. If you are not completely cleaned out, that is if you are still passing solid stool, then before you go to bed use the disposable enema bottle with water or saline.

Midnight Do not eat or drink anything after Midnight.

DAY OF PROCEDURE

• DO NOT EAT OR DRINK ANYTHING.
• Medication may be taken with a sip of water.
• Patients requiring assistance should have a bed pan, commode or help readily available.
• Diabetic patients should check with physicians to see if their insulin needs to be adjusted.

Please arrive at least 30 minutes prior to your procedure. If you have any questions, please call (541) 687-7134. Please ask to speak to a CT Technologist.

During your visit, a patient advocate will show you to the changing area and can assist you if necessary. Our changing rooms offer secure lockers, however we encourage patients to leave valuables at home. Once changed, our patient advocate will guide you to the sub-waiting area where you will find a selection of magazines and newspapers. A staff member will notify you when it is time for your CT Scan and will introduce you to the CT technologist.

Using a CT scanner's X-rays we will take cross-sectional images of your abdominal cavity and colon. These images will be assembled by a computer into a three-dimensional rendering allowing the radiologist to 'fly-through' or virtually examine the colon. During the study, a small enema tip is inserted into the rectum and air is used to inflate the colon. This portion of the study only takes few minutes, but some patients will experience discomfort or cramping. The test takes approximately 25 minutes, during which you will lie on your back and on your stomach.

The technologist is specially trained and certified by the American Registry of Radiological Technologists to take care of you during your CT scan. The technologist begins by positioning you on the CT table. Your body may be supported by pillows to help hold you still and in the proper position during the scan. As the study proceeds, the table will move slowly into the CT scanner 'doughnut.'

• A sub-specialized radiologist will interpret your images and prepare a diagnostic report for you and your physician.
• Results are usually made available to your physician in two or three days. If outside comparison studies are required, it may take longer for your results to be made available.
• Your physician will determine how the radiologists' report can be used to develop a treatment plan and speak with you about your results.

The major reason for performing CT colonography is to screen for polyps and other lesions in the large intestine. Polyps are benign growths that arise from the inner lining of the intestine. Some polyps may grow and turn into cancers.

The goal of screening with colonography is to find these growths in their early stages, so that they can be removed before cancer has had a chance to develop. Most physicians agree that everyone older than 50 years should be screened for polyps every seven to 10 years. Individuals at increased risk should be screened every five years. Risk factors for the disease include a history of polyps, a family history of colon cancer, or the presence of blood in the stool.

(Source: http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=ct_colo&bhcp=1)