“How long does a CT scan of kidneys take?”
I am a 38 year old male. I will have a CT scan of my kidneys done soon. How long does a CT scan of kidneys take?
5 Answers
5 min
Hello,
The answer to your question is not a one size fits all because it depends on the type of kidney(renal) scan ordered. If its a noncontrast CT kidneys (looking for stones), then no labs or IV needed and scan takes 1-2mins. If ordered with Iv contrast the scan can be a straight forward scan with a single pass thru the anatomy of interest (1-2mins) in addition to time it takes to start an IV and whether labs were already done as an outpatient. A dynamic contrast study of the kidneys is done sequentially, in phases to better assess blood supply (if any) to an abnormality such as a mass. The CT scanner will be programmed to scan the area of interest at for ex. 1, 5, and 10 minutes post contrast injection. Perfusion (enhancement) patterns can provide valuable, non invasive/non surgical information helping the doctor to have a better idea of what the abnormality/ diagnosis might be (e.g., tumor vs abscess, or blood). Labs to assess renal function PTE are needed in adults due to potential of causing permanent damage to kidneys that may be predisposed to ill effects from the contrast.
The answer to your question is not a one size fits all because it depends on the type of kidney(renal) scan ordered. If its a noncontrast CT kidneys (looking for stones), then no labs or IV needed and scan takes 1-2mins. If ordered with Iv contrast the scan can be a straight forward scan with a single pass thru the anatomy of interest (1-2mins) in addition to time it takes to start an IV and whether labs were already done as an outpatient. A dynamic contrast study of the kidneys is done sequentially, in phases to better assess blood supply (if any) to an abnormality such as a mass. The CT scanner will be programmed to scan the area of interest at for ex. 1, 5, and 10 minutes post contrast injection. Perfusion (enhancement) patterns can provide valuable, non invasive/non surgical information helping the doctor to have a better idea of what the abnormality/ diagnosis might be (e.g., tumor vs abscess, or blood). Labs to assess renal function PTE are needed in adults due to potential of causing permanent damage to kidneys that may be predisposed to ill effects from the contrast.
Hi,
The shortest non-contrast CT abdomen/pelvis looking for stones is 1 minute. The longest CT urogram protocol without and with contrast and delays to fill the ureters is 15 minutes.
The shortest non-contrast CT abdomen/pelvis looking for stones is 1 minute. The longest CT urogram protocol without and with contrast and delays to fill the ureters is 15 minutes.
The actual scan takes seconds to minutes depending whether or not IV contrast is given.
Good luck and all the best.
Good luck and all the best.
One or two breath holds.
