During a CT scan, the person lies very still on a table. The table slowly passes through the center of a large x-ray MACHINE. The person might hear whirring sounds during the procedure. People may be asked to hold their breath at times, to prevent blurring of the pictures. Often, a CONTRAST agent, or “dye,” may be given by mouth, injected into a vein, given by enema, or given in all three ways before the CT scan is done. The contrast dye can highlight specific AREAS inside the body, resulting in a clearer PICTURE. Computed TOMOGRAPHY scans do not cause any pain. However, lying in one position

during the procedure may be slightly uncomfortable. The length of the procedure depends on the size of the area being x-rayed; CT scans take from 15 minutes to 1 hour to complete. For most people, the CT scan is performed on an outpatient basis at a hospital or a doctor’s office, without an overnight hospital stay.

During a CT scan, the person lies very still on a table. The table slowly passes through the center of a large x-ray machine. The person might hear whirring sounds during the procedure. People may be asked to hold their breath at times, to prevent blurring of the pictures. Often, a contrast agent, or “dye,” may be given by mouth, injected into a vein, given by enema, or given in all three ways before the CT scan is done. The contrast dye can highlight specific areas inside the body, resulting in a clearer picture. Computed tomography scans do not cause any pain. However, lying in one position

during the procedure may be slightly uncomfortable. The length of the procedure depends on the size of the area being x-rayed; CT scans take from 15 minutes to 1 hour to complete. For most people, the CT scan is performed on an outpatient basis at a hospital or a doctor’s office, without an overnight hospital stay.