Medical Imaging
Thanks to technological advances in digital imagery, we're able to produce medical images with stunning detail and clarity. More importantly, these high-resolution images provide physicians with the necessary tools to offer exceptional patient care. Whether it's the early diagnoses of heart disease, the early detection of cancer, or an injury assessment, patients benefit from today's imaging technology.
Reviewed 9/30/2022
4 facts and myths about imaging and radiation
Imaging tests are used to look inside the body. They help doctors diagnose conditions and determine the best treatments. There are various types of imaging tests, many of which use radiation. The type of imaging recommended for you will depend on the goal of the test, your condition and the part of your body being examined.
To help you understand more about imaging and radiation, here are some common myths and facts.
Myth or fact: You should avoid all radiation.
MYTH. We’re exposed to radiation every day. We get it from the air, outer space, the ground and even the food we eat. Scientists measure radiation in millisieverts (mSv). It’s estimated that the average person in the U.S. receives a dose of about 3 mSv per year just through natural means.
For comparison, the radiation you receive from an x-ray of your ankle is 0.001 mSv. That’s equal to 3 hours of natural radiation. A CT scan of your lungs imparts 1.5 mSv, or the equivalent of six months of natural radiation. Even that amount is considered a very low health risk.
If you need imaging that uses radiation, the radiologist will ensure you’re exposed to the lowest amount possible for an effective test.
Myth or fact: All imaging tests use some form of radiation.
MYTH. Plain x-rays, CT scans and nuclear scans use radiation. But ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans don’t.
An ultrasound uses sound waves to create an image. MRIs use a large magnet and radio waves.
Myth or fact: Imaging tests that use radiation are considered safe.
FACT. Many activities we think of as safe—like taking a walk—carry some degree of risk. Similarly, imaging tests that use radiation are considered safe. Radiologists use the lowest radiation possible to get effective images. It would take ultra-high levels of radiation—far more than those used in diagnostic imaging—to potentially cause cancer later in life.
Still, you want to minimize your exposure to radiation when possible. If you’re worried that your imaging test will expose you to unnecessary radiation, discuss your concerns with your doctor or the radiologist. Maybe you’ve had a similar test done recently that could provide the information they need. Or you may have the option of a different test that wouldn’t expose you to radiation.
Myth or fact: Radiation tests can make you infertile.
MYTH. Very high radiation doses can harm eggs or sperm. But the amount of radiation used in diagnostic radiology is very low. No studies have shown that low-level radiation exposure to eggs or sperm causes birth defects or miscarriage. Even cancer patients whose ovaries received fairly high levels of radiation have shown no negative lasting effects.
You can lower your risk from an imaging test by letting your doctor know if you are—or think you could be—pregnant before having the procedure. Your doctor might want to postpone or modify it to lower the amount of radiation you’ll receive.
Learn more about specific imaging tests and how they might be used.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; The Joint Commission; Radiological Society of North America
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Radiation in Healthcare: Imaging Procedures." https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/ionizing.htm.
- Radiological Society of North America. "How Big is the Risk From Medical Imaging to Future Generations? "https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=safety-hiw_14.
- Radiological Society of North America. "How Much Dose Do I Get From Different Imaging Procedures?" https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info/safety-hiw_07.
- Radiological Society of North America. "Is Diagnostic Medical Radiation Safe?" https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info/safety-hiw_02.
- Radiological Society of North America. "Radiation Dose." https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info/safety-xray.
- The Joint Commission. "Speak Up Medical Imaging. X-rays, MRIs, and Other Medical Imaging Tests." https://www.jointcommission.org/resources/for-consumers/speak-up-campaigns/medical-imaging/.
NEW- Genius 3D Mammography
Norton King's Daughters' Health offers Genius 3D Mammography from Hologic. Genius 3D Mammography allows doctors to examine your breast tissue layer by layer, reducing callback rates by up to 40 percent and improving the early detection of invasive breast cancers by 20 - 65 percent (compared to 2D mammography alone).
Learn more about Genius 3D: Breast Care Program
Scheduling a Mammogram
Mammography can be performed as a screening exam or a diagnostic exam. Screening exams can be done annually on women age 40 and above who are not having any symptoms or issues in the breast - and can be scheduled by the patient.
To schedule a screening mammogram, call our medical imaging schedulers at 812.801.0440 or 812.801.0686. Many appointment times are available, including some evening appointments.
Breast Care Navigator: Call 812.801.8080
Diagnostic exams are performed on patients who have a symptom or issue in their breast. The patient’s physician or provider must order this type of mammogram.
The best protection against breast cancer is early detection. Mammography can assist in detecting breast cancers early through routine screening mammograms, routine self-breast exams, and routine provider checkups. For more information about the benefits of mammography, contact your physician or provider.
Ultrasound uses sound waves rather than x-rays to acquire images. Ultrasound can be used to evaluate many organs of the body. Most commonly, ultrasound is used to evaluate the liver, gallbladder, breast, thyroid, reproductive organs, and kidneys. Ultrasound can also be used to assist during biopsies and with localization of fluids in the body.
Ultrasound is routinely used on pregnant patients to assess the health of their unborn child.
Norton KDH has Samsung ultrasound equipment that provides superior resolution. Of special interest is the amazing 4D ultrasound capability with this system! 4D ultrasound displays a 3D image in live time.
4D Ultrasound for Babies
Parents-to-be are excited to meet their baby! Now, expectant parents can view incredible images of their baby before he or she is born thanks to this amazing technology. For an upfront fee of $125, patients can have their own OB 4D ultrasound experience! Up to 10 family members and friends can be invited to share in this 4D OB Ultrasound where images are displayed on a large flat screen television. 3D images are taken by the technologist and put on a disc for the parents to take home with them.
Please note:
OB 4D Ultrasound is not a diagnostic exam; it is for entertainment purposes only. Insurance does not cover OB 4D Ultrasound exams; they are self-pay only.
There are occasional limitations with OB 4D Ultrasound exams. For example, sometimes the baby’s position, amniotic fluid, or gestational age may affect the outcome of the images.
OB 4D Ultrasound exams can be scheduled by calling our medical imaging schedulers at 812.801.0440 or 812.801.0686. Please note that you do not have to be a patient at KDH to take advantage of this special offer. For optimal imaging, OB 4D Ultrasound exams should be scheduled between 27 and 30 weeks of gestation. (Twin pregnancies should be scheduled between 24 and 26 weeks of gestation.)
With the exception of OB 4D Ultrasound exams, all other ultrasound examinations must be scheduled through your provider. For more information about ultrasound, please contact your provider.
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) utilizes a strong magnetic field rather than x-rays to acquire images. MRI is a popular imaging tool due to the excellent resolution and detail it can provide. While an MRI can be used to evaluate many structures in the body, it is most commonly used to evaluate the brain, spine, abdomen, joints, and other soft tissue structures of the body such as ligaments, tendons, muscles, and arteries.
Technology
Norton KDH has a 1.5 Tesla GE Optima 450W MRI unit which provides superior resolution.
There are many contraindications associated with MRI. You will be thoroughly screened by your provider and again by the technologist performing your exam in order to keep you safe.
MRI exams can be scheduled directly through your provider. For additional information about MRI exams, please contact your physician or provider.
CT (Computed Tomography) utilizes x-rays to create a cross-sectional image of the anatomy being examined so that doctors can view one layer of anatomy at a time.
Technology
Norton King's Daughters' Health has a 64 slice GE Lightspeed scanner which provides excellent resolution and enables a quick examination time. CT is a very popular imaging tool due to the detail provided in the images. It is used often to assess potential head injuries or strokes. It can also be used to localize or detect blood clots in the lungs, kidney stones, appendicitis and tumors. CT scans are frequently performed for evaluation of the head, face, neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis, spine, and extremities.
CT exams can be scheduled directly through your provider. For more information about CT examinations, please contact your provider.
A PET (Positron Emission Tomography) Scan is an imaging test that allows your provider to check for diseases in your body. The scan uses a special “dye” that has radioactive tracers which are injected into a vein in your arm. Your organs and tissues absorb the tracers and then imaging is performed. By identifying body changes at the cellular level, PET may detect the early onset of diseases such as cancer before it is evident on other imaging tests. PET is also used as a follow up tool to see how diseases like cancer are responding to treatment.
Norton KDH is contracted with Shared Medical Services which provides us with a mobile PET scanner and PET technologists who provide PET services for our patients. Shared Medical Services utilizes the most advanced PET imagery available, providing superior resolution and detailed images. Shared Medical Services staff members are held to the same standards of excellence you would expect from any KDH employee.
PET examinations are scheduled through a provider. For more information about PET exams, please contact your provider.
Osteoporosis (loss of bone mineralization) can be devastating. That’s why it’s important for aging patients to complete a simple procedure known as bone density testing. A bone density test shows your provider the strength and density of your bone tissue. Catching bone loss early can help you prevent further bone loss and osteoporosis. The test is simple and non-invasive.
Technology
Norton KDH features a Hologic Verizon W unit. This is the one of the most technologically advanced units on the market. Bone density exams use a narrowly collimated beam of x-rays to image the spine, hip, and/or wrist area to detect osteopenia or osteoporosis. Bone density exams can also be used to assess vertebral fractures or narrowing of the vertebrae, which can be associated with osteoporosis.
Bone Density exams can be scheduled through your provider. Please contact your provider for more information regarding bone density testing.
We know how scary it can be to learn that you need a breast biopsy. We provide stereotactic breast biopsy capabilities so that our patients needing this type of service can stay close to home and be in an environment of friendly, familiar, and caring technologists and doctors who will provide quality care and service.
A stereotactic breast biopsy utilizes equipment that yields a precise needle placement for biopsy extraction of the affected tissue. The breast tissue is numbed prior to placement of the needle.
Following this minimally invasive biopsy, the patient is recovered by a registered nurse and is then allowed to leave with no restrictions!
Please note that Norton KDH also offers ultrasound guided breast biopsies (in which a biopsy is obtained of the affected tissue under ultrasound guidance) as well as breast needle localizations (in which a needle is placed in the breast into the affected tissue and the patient is then sent to surgery for removal of the tissue).
Fluoroscopy is a special type of x-ray that shows anatomical structures in real-time! Fluoroscopy can be performed on many organs of the body. Most commonly, fluoroscopy is ordered by a provider to evaluate the esophagus, stomach, small bowel, or colon. Barium is often used as a contrast medium to assist in visualization of these structures.
Fluoroscopic exams can be scheduled directly through your provider. For more information about fluoroscopic examinations, please contact your provider.
Unlike conventional x-ray, in which the image forming radiation comes from an x-ray tube, nuclear medicine requires the injection of a radioactive material into the patient’s vein which is then absorbed by or taken up in the organ(s) of interest. After a specified wait time, the patient is placed under a detector that detects the organ’s molecular functioning and creates an image. Because nuclear medicine is performed at the molecular level, it can detect disease processes or fractures earlier than conventional x-ray.
Nuclear medicine can be utilized to image internal organs as well as the skeletal system.
Norton KDH utilizes a GE Infinia Hawkeye 4 nuclear medicine system for superior quality in imaging.
Nuclear medicine studies must be scheduled through your provider. For more information on nuclear medicine, please contact your provider.
3D CTA (Computed Tomography Angiography) Imaging is an advanced CT technique in which cross-sectional images are reformatted to create amazing 3D visualization of the anatomical structures under examination. 3D CTA examinations can be done to provide a non-invasive visualization of blockages or aneurysms in blood vessels. In addition, 3D CTA can be used to detect Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). It can also be performed for an intricate examination of skeletal fractures. This can aid orthopedic physicians with fracture care and potential surgery. CTA exams can be used for many other applications as well. CTA exams can be scheduled directly through your provider. For more information about CTA exams, please contact your provider.
Norton KDH has McKesson PACS (Picture Archival Communication System) which is used to archive and retrieve all medical imaging examinations.
All imaging performed at Norton KDH uses digital formatting. Therefore, all of our imagery is computer-driven which allows for greater efficiency in obtaining images and in retrieving prior images for comparison. Digital images are seen in seconds following the exposure whereas film based images took several minutes to process.
Compared to film based imaging, digital imaging also provides superior contrast resolution, meaning that structures are more clearly delineated and separated from surrounding structures in the images. In addition, doctors can adjust the gray scale and brightness of digital images to better visualize certain structures.
The c-arm is a mobile fluoroscopy unit that uses x-rays to create a real-time image. Surgeons often use c-arms during their cases that require implementation of hardware into a broken or diseased bone. The c-arm enables the surgeon to view the process in real-time during the surgery to help them ensure the accuracy and success of the procedure. The c-arm can also be used during pacemaker and infusaport surgical procedures to ensure accurate placement of the device in the patient. Norton KDH not only utilizes c-arm imaging for a variety of surgical procedures, but also in the pain clinic during spine injections to ensure accurate placement of the injection. C-arm imagery can also be performed for various procedures in the emergency room or in the patient’s room.
We're here to help. You can reach one of our Medical Imaging team members during regular business hours at 812.801.0132. If you have specific questions about your scheduled exam, let us know or speak with your physician or provider.