Lesson 1Patient agreement and explanation: describing IV dye risks and benefits and breath-holding needsExplains getting informed agreement for IV dye CT, clearly outlining benefits, possible risks, and options, while teaching staff to explain breath-holding steps, handle worry, and confirm patient grasp before scanning.
Explaining CT purpose for suspected appendix inflammationDiscussing IV dye benefits and diagnostic valueOutlining common and rare dye-related risksDescribing breath-holding steps and practice runsChecking patient grasp and answering questionsLesson 2Safety during dye giving: watching for quick reactions, emergency drug readiness, and after-dye watchingFocuses on safe dye giving, including patient watching during injection, spotting early allergy or leak, ensuring emergency drugs and tools ready, and after-dye watching steps.
Base check before dye injectionWatching patient during injection and scanSpotting and handling quick reactionsSpotting and handling dye leakAfter-dye watching and discharge adviceLesson 3Dye timing and stages: main vein stage timing for appendix inflammation, dye tracking basics, and gut/oral dye notesDescribes main vein stage timing for appendix CT, basics of dye tracking and test dye, and when oral or gut dye is helpful or not needed, including local choices and patient tolerance issues.
Main vein stage timing for appendix inflammationDye tracking setup and trigger levelsFixed delay versus dye tracking methodsRole of oral dye in suspected appendix inflammationHandling patients unable to take oral dyeLesson 4Pre-scan check for dye risks: allergy history, metformin advice, and kidney problem handlingCovers pre-scan check for IV dye safety, including allergy history, past reactions, metformin use, kidney problems, eGFR levels, and when to involve radiology or kidney experts before doing dye CT.
Taking detailed dye allergy historyHandling past mild versus severe reactionsAssessing kidney function and eGFR levelsMetformin use and stopping recommendationsWhen to seek radiologist or kidney expert inputLesson 5Checking CT request and ID: pregnancy check, recent dye reactions, and kidney function checks (eGFR level notes)Details checking CT request, patient ID, and pregnancy status, along with checking past dye reactions and kidney function, ensuring record of eGFR and risk factors before doing IV dye CT.
Confirming patient ID with two checksReviewing medical reason and CT request formPregnancy check and record stepsChecking past dye reactions and notesReviewing eGFR and recent kidney testsLesson 6Movement handling and breath-holding method for best image qualityCovers methods to cut movement marks, including guidance on breath-holding practice, timing instructions with scanner, handling short-of-breath or painful patients, and using shallow breathing or breathing issue plans when needed.
Pre-scan guidance and practice breath-holdsStandard breath-holding commands and timingHandling patients with pain or limited helpPlans for shallow breathing scansSpotting and reducing movement marksLesson 7Scan settings: kVp, auto mA change, slice thickness, and rebuild kernels for belly CTReviews key scan settings for belly CT, including kVp choice, auto mA change, pitch, turn time, slice thickness, and rebuild kernels, stressing their effect on noise, detail, and diagnostic trust.
Choosing kVp based on size and reasonSetting pitch and turn time properlyAuto mA change setupSelecting slice thickness and rebuild gapSoft tissue and high-detail kernel choicesLesson 8Radiation dose improvement: dose-length product (DLP) awareness, repeated rebuild, and method tailoring for adult patientsFocuses on cutting radiation dose while keeping diagnostic quality, explaining CTDIvol and DLP, use of auto exposure control, repeated rebuild, method tailoring for body type, and recording dose numbers in files.
Understanding CTDIvol and DLP on the consoleUsing auto tube current change safelySelecting proper kVp for adult patientsApplying repeated rebuild to cut noiseAdjusting method for BMI and medical questionLesson 9Special patient notes: obesity, fear of enclosed spaces, and pain relief needs for painful belly patientsAddresses adjusting CT method for special groups, including overweight, fear-of-enclosed, and very painful patients, with plans for table limits, view area, reassurance, worry relief, and safe pain relief coordination.
Technical challenges in overweight patientsAdjusting view area and dose for large body typeHandling fear of enclosed spaces and worry in CTPositioning painful patients with appendix inflammationCoordinating pain relief and calming if neededLesson 10IV access and dye choice: dye types (nonionic iodine), usual volumes and strengths for belly CT, and injection speedsExplains choice of nonionic iodine dye, usual volumes and strengths for adult belly CT, IV needle size and site choice, and injection speeds and pressures fit for main vein stage imaging.
Choosing nonionic iodine dye agentsStandard volume and strength for adultsSelecting IV needle size and insertion siteSetting injection speed and pressure limitsChecking IV openness before injection startLesson 11Scan method and positioning: lying positioning, scan range for appendix inflammation, and arms-up notesDetails correct lying positioning, arm placement, and scan range choice for appendix CT, including coverage from chest wall to pubic bone, table centering, and plans to cut marks and improve comfort and repeatability.
Lying positioning and table height matchArms-up versus arms-down: pros and consDefining scan range for suspected appendix inflammationCentering to middle and avoiding machine clashPadding, straps, and comfort aids for steadinessLesson 12PACS reporting process and urgent talk: how to mark study for radiologist read and share suspected problems (burst, pus pocket) to the medical teamOutlines how to correctly send studies to PACS, apply urgent flags, and ensure radiologist awareness of suspected problems, while teaching structured talk with doctors for burst, pus pocket, or blood poisoning worries.
Correctly labeling and sending series to PACSMarking studies as urgent or stat in the systemAdding key medical details in technologist notesEscalating suspected burst or pus pocketRecording spoken talk with doctorsLesson 13Image check and quality review: evaluating dye filling, breathing movement marks, and repeat standardsExplains how to systematically review images for technical fitness, including dye boost of gut and vessels, movement or streak marks, coverage of appendix area, and standards for repeating or adding scans.
Checking scan range and body coverageAssessing main vein boost qualitySpotting breathing and movement marksEvaluating noise, streaks, and beam-hardeningDeciding when repeat or extra series is needed
