What Is This Scan?

Trauma CT is a rapid CT examination used to assess injuries following an accident or significant trauma.

CT can examine multiple areas of the body quickly and provides highly detailed images of the brain, bones, spine, chest, abdominal and pelvic organs, blood vessels and soft tissues.

Depending on the type and severity of the injury, CT may assess a single area or multiple body regions during the same examination.

At IMPACT Radiology, the examination can be tailored to the mechanism of injury, symptoms and specific clinical concerns identified by your referring practitioner.

Conditions We Commonly Assess

• Head & Facial Injuries
• Intracranial haemorrhage
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Skull fractures
• Facial fractures
• Orbital injuries
• Other complications of head trauma
• Spine Injuries
• Spine fractures
• Spinal alignment abnormalities
• Traumatic spinal instability
• Chest Injuries
• Rib fractures
• Sternal fractures
• Pneumothorax (collapsed lung)
• Haemothorax (blood around the lung)
• Lung contusions
• Chest wall injuries
• Mediastinal injuries
• Traumatic aortic and vascular injuries
• Abdominal & Pelvic Injuries
• Internal bleeding
• Liver injuries
• Splenic injuries
• Kidney injuries
• Adrenal injuries
• Bowel and mesenteric injuries
• Bladder injuries
• Pelvic fractures
• Retroperitoneal injuries
• Abdominal and pelvic haematomas
• Musculoskeletal Injuries
• Complex fractures
• Joint fractures
• Shoulder and upper-limb injuries
• Hip and pelvic injuries
• Lower-limb injuries
• Fracture displacement and alignment
• Complex injuries requiring surgical planning
• Vascular Injuries

CT angiography can also be performed when injury to an artery or other major blood vessel is suspected.

• This can assess for:
• Active internal bleeding
• Arterial injury
• Traumatic vessel occlusion
• Dissection
• Pseudoaneurysm
• Other vascular complications following trauma

Why Might My Doctor Request This Scan?

• A fall
• Motor vehicle accident
• Motorcycle or bicycle accident
• Sporting injury
• Head injury
• Facial trauma
• Chest trauma
• Abdominal or pelvic trauma
• Spinal injury
• Suspected fracture
• Suspected internal bleeding
• Significant soft-tissue injury
• Persistent pain following an injury
• An abnormality identified on X-ray
• Multiple injuries following significant trauma

CT can also be useful when symptoms persist despite an initial X-ray showing no definite fracture.

Preparation

Preparation depends on the type and urgency of the examination.

For urgent trauma imaging, no special preparation is usually required.

• If intravenous contrast is required:
• A small intravenous cannula will be inserted.
• Your relevant medical history will be reviewed.

Please inform our staff if you have previously experienced a reaction to CT contrast.

Please let us know if you have significant kidney disease, where possible.

In urgent situations, the need to rapidly diagnose a potentially serious injury may influence the preparation required.

What Happens During the Scan?

You will be positioned on the CT table according to the areas that need to be examined.

CT images are acquired rapidly, often within seconds.

Depending on your injuries, several areas may be scanned during the same examination.

If intravenous contrast is required, a small cannula will be placed into a vein, usually in your arm. Contrast may be administered to identify internal bleeding, organ injuries and vascular abnormalities.

You may briefly experience a warm sensation or metallic taste during the contrast injection. This is common and usually passes quickly.

The images can then be reconstructed in multiple planes and, where appropriate, into detailed 3D images to assist with assessment of complex fractures and injuries.