“Why would a doctor order a CT scan of the abdomen?”
I am a 47 year old male. Mu doctor ordered a CT scan of my abdomen. Why would a doctor order a CT scan of the abdomen?
4 Answers
Pain.
Oftentimes a patient presenting to the doctor's office or ER with nonspecific complaints (abdominal pain, nausea vomiting) and basic physical exam and labs may not reveal much or suggest a potentially serious problem. A CT scan gives the doctor the opportunity to non-surgically take a look inside the abdomen to assess what, if anything, is wrong with intra-abdominal contents. (Instead of standing outside looking at a house wondering where the kitchen is located, just go inside and have a look!)
Kidney stones, blood in urine, or abdomen swelling, liver enzyme increase...there are lots of reasons.
CT scan of the abdomen is one of the most common and useful tests in radiology. A huge amount of information can be collected from this quick test. Sometimes oral and IV contrast are used to help depending on the clinical situation.
