Lesson 1Patient consent and explanation: describing IV contrast risks and benefits and breath-hold requirementsThis lesson explains getting informed agreement for IV contrast CT, clearly stating benefits, risks, and options, while teaching staff to describe breath-holding, ease worry, and check patient grasp before scanning.
Explaining purpose of CT for suspected appendicitisDiscussing IV contrast benefits and diagnostic valueOutlining common and rare contrast-related risksDescribing breath-hold steps and practice runsChecking patient understanding and answering questionsLesson 2Safety during contrast administration: monitoring for immediate reactions, emergency drug availability, and post-contrast observationThis lesson focuses on safe contrast giving, including watching patients during injection, spotting early allergy or leaks, having emergency drugs ready, and watching after contrast.
Baseline assessment before contrast injectionMonitoring patient during injection and scanRecognizing and managing acute reactionsDetecting and handling contrast extravasationPost-contrast observation and discharge adviceLesson 3Contrast timing and phases: portal venous phase timing for appendicitis, bolus tracking basics, and enteric/oral contrast considerationsThis lesson describes timing for portal venous phase in appendicitis CT, basics of bolus tracking and test doses, and when oral or gut contrast helps or not, including clinic choices and patient tolerance.
Portal venous phase timing for appendicitisBolus tracking setup and trigger thresholdsFixed delay versus bolus tracking approachesRole of oral contrast in suspected appendicitisManaging patients unable to tolerate oral contrastLesson 4Pre-scan screening for contrast contraindications: allergy history, metformin advice, and renal impairment managementThis lesson covers checks before scanning for IV contrast safety, including allergy past, reactions, metformin use, kidney problems, eGFR levels, and when to call radiology or kidney experts before contrast CT.
Taking detailed contrast allergy historyHandling prior mild versus severe reactionsAssessing renal function and eGFR thresholdsMetformin use and withholding recommendationsWhen to seek radiologist or nephrologist inputLesson 5Verifying CT request and identity: pregnancy screening, recent contrast reactions, and renal function checks (eGFR threshold considerations)This lesson details checking CT request, patient identity, and pregnancy, plus past contrast reactions and kidney function, ensuring eGFR and risks are noted before IV contrast CT.
Confirming patient identity with two identifiersReviewing clinical indication and CT request formPregnancy screening and documentation stepsChecking prior contrast reactions and notesReviewing eGFR and recent renal function testsLesson 6Motion management and breath-hold technique for optimal image qualityThis lesson covers ways to cut movement issues, including teaching breath-holding, timing with scanner, handling breathless or sore patients, and using light breathing when needed.
Pre-scan coaching and practice breath-holdsStandard breath-hold commands and timingManaging patients with pain or limited cooperationStrategies for shallow breathing acquisitionsRecognizing and reducing motion artifactsLesson 7Acquisition parameters: kVp, automated mA modulation, slice thickness, and reconstruction kernels for abdominal CTThis lesson reviews main settings for abdominal CT, like kVp choice, auto mA changes, pitch, rotation time, slice size, and rebuild types, stressing their effect on noise, detail, and diagnosis trust.
Choosing kVp based on size and indicationSetting pitch and rotation time appropriatelyAutomated mA modulation configurationSelecting slice thickness and reconstruction intervalSoft tissue and high-resolution kernel choicesLesson 8Radiation dose optimization: dose-length product (DLP) awareness, iterative reconstruction, and protocol tailoring for adult patientsThis lesson focuses on cutting radiation dose while keeping diagnosis quality, explaining CTDIvol and DLP, auto exposure control, rebuild methods, adjusting for body size, and noting dose in files.
Understanding CTDIvol and DLP on the consoleUsing automated tube current modulation safelySelecting appropriate kVp for adult patientsApplying iterative reconstruction to reduce noiseAdjusting protocol for BMI and clinical questionLesson 9Special patient considerations: obesity, claustrophobia, and analgesia needs for painful abdominal patientsThis lesson addresses changing CT methods for special groups, like overweight, fearful of enclosed spaces, or very sore patients, with plans for table limits, view area, comfort, calm, and safe pain relief team work.
Technical challenges in obese patientsAdjusting FOV and dose for large body habitusManaging claustrophobia and anxiety in CTPositioning painful patients with appendicitisCoordinating analgesia and sedation if neededLesson 10IV access and contrast selection: contrast types (nonionic iodinated), typical volumes and concentrations for abdominal CT, and injection ratesThis lesson explains picking nonionic iodinated contrast, usual amounts and strengths for adult abdominal CT, IV needle size and spot choice, and injection speeds and pressures for portal venous imaging.
Choosing nonionic iodinated contrast agentsStandard volume and concentration for adultsSelecting IV cannula gauge and insertion siteSetting injection rate and pressure limitsChecking IV patency before injection startLesson 11Scan protocol and positioning: supine positioning, scan range for appendicitis, and arms-up considerationsThis lesson details right flat-on-back positioning, arm placement, and scan area for appendicitis CT, covering from diaphragm to pubic bone, table centering, and ways to cut issues and boost comfort and repeat ease.
Supine positioning and table height alignmentArms-up versus arms-down: pros and consDefining scan range for suspected appendicitisCentering to isocenter and avoiding gantry collisionPadding, straps, and comfort aids for stabilityLesson 12PACS reporting workflow and urgent communication: how to mark study for radiologist read and communicate suspected complications (perforation, abscess) to the clinical teamThis lesson outlines sending studies to PACS right, using urgency marks, ensuring radiologists know of possible issues, and structured talks with doctors for burst appendix, pus pockets, or blood poisoning worries.
Correctly labeling and sending series to PACSMarking studies as urgent or stat in the systemAdding key clinical details in technologist notesEscalating suspected perforation or abscessDocumenting verbal communication with cliniciansLesson 13Image review and quality check: evaluating contrast opacification, breathing motion artifacts, and repeat criteriaThis lesson explains step-by-step image checks for technical fit, including contrast filling of gut and vessels, movement or line issues, appendix area cover, and rules for redoing or adding scans.
Checking scan range and anatomic coverageAssessing portal venous enhancement qualityIdentifying breathing and motion artifactsEvaluating noise, streaks, and beam-hardeningDeciding when repeat or extra series is needed
