CT Boards Flashcards
Informed consent is not required for any invasive procedure.
False
Normal body temperature is…
97.7 to 99.5 degrees F (36.5 to 37.5 degrees C)
Normal pulse rate for adults is…
60 to 100 beats per minute
Normal pulse rate for children is…
70 to 120 beats per minute
What is systolic blood pressure?
Pressure within arteries during cardiac contraction - - should be less than 120 mmHg
What is diastolic blood pressure?
Pressure within arteries during relaxation of the heart - - should be less than 80 mmHg
Normal blood oxygen levels are…
95% to 100%
What does the cardiac cycle refer to?
The series of blood flow related events that occur from the beginning of one heart beat to that of the next
What are the 3 distinct stages of the cardiac cycle?
- Atrial systole
- Ventricular systole
- Complete cardiac diastole
What is Atrial Systole?
Contraction of left & right atria - - corresponds to the onset of the P wave of an ECG
What is Ventricular Systole?
Contraction of left & right ventricles - - corresponds to the beginning of the QRS complex of an ECG
What is Complete Cardiac Diastole?
Period of relaxation after heart contraction - - consists of ventricular & atrial diastole - - corresponds to the T wave of an ECG
When are Cardiac CT images typically acquireed and reconstructed?
During the diastolic phase
Why do slower heart rates yield higher quality cardiac CT images?
Slower heart rates exhibit longer diastolic phases
Normal BUN value ranges in adults is…
7 to 25 mg/dL
Normal Creatinine levels in adults is…
0.5 to 1.5 mg/dL
What is the most accurate measure of renal function?
Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR)
How is GFR calculated?
Taking the patient’s measured serum creatinine level and factoring in the patient’s age, sex, & race.
Normal range of GFR for men is…
70 +/- 14 mL/min/m2
Normal range of GFR for women is…
60 +/- 10 mL/min/m2
What is Prothrombin TIme (PT)?
A measure of blood coagulation
Normal range of Prothrombin Time (PT) is…
12 to 15 sec
Normal range of Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT) is…
25 to 35 sec
What is D-dimer testing used to diagnose?
A deep vein thrombosis (DVT) & Pulmonary Embolism
What size IV catheter should be used for flow rates exceeding 3 mL/sec?
20 gauge or larger
How do you care for an extravasation?
Remove the needle/catheter & apply pressure with a warm, moist compress
Name examples of ionic contrast media…
- Iothalamate meglumine (Conray)
- Diatrizoate sodium (Hypaque)
Name examples of non-ionic contrast media…
- Iohexol (Omnipaque)
- Iopamidol (Isovue)
- Ioversol (Optiray)
- Iodixanol (Visipaque)
What is the routine transit time for barium sulfate through the GI tract?
30 to 90 min
What is the routine transit time for water-soluble iodinated contract agents through the GI tract?
30 to 90 min
What type of contrast media is used for enterography & why?
Neutral oral contrast media distends the GI tract while still allowing for clear visualization of the bowel wall
List the mild reactions to iodinated contrast media…
- Nausea/Vomiting
- Mild urticaria (hives)
- Pronounced sensation of warmth and/or flushing
- Altered taste
- Sweats/chills
- Nasal stuffiness/sneezing
- Anxiety
List the moderate reactions to iodinated contrast media…
- Mild bronchospasm
- Moderate to severe urticaria
- Vasovagal response
- Tachycardia from hypotension
List the severe reactions to iodinated contrast media…
- Profound hypotension
- Laryngeal edema
- Severe bronchospasm
- Pulmonary edema
- Cardiac arrythmia
- Seizures
- Cardiopulmonary arrest
- Death
What is inherent absorption efficiency?
The ability of the detector to capture transmitted x-ray quanta & produce the appropriate response
What is geometric efficiency of a detector array?
The spatial arrangement of detector elements, including the amount of interspace material required between adjacent elements
What is protocol optimization?
The process of adjusting parameters such as mA/kVp, slice thickness, & pitch for the purpose of reducing patient radiation dose while maintaining adequate image quality
There is a (directly/indirectly) proportional relationship between the mA setting, scan time, & patient radiation dose.
Directly
What is dose profile?
The section of the patient that is exposed to radiation during CT data acquisition.
When collimation is increased (ex: thinner slices), what happens to image noise?
More noise is yielded.
When dose is decreased what happens to image noise?
More noise is yielded.
Image noise is (directly/indirectly) related to patient size…
Directly
What happens to radiation dose saving as the heart rate increases?
It decrease - - dose increases
What is CT dose index (CTDI)?
An appropriate measure of the dose received in a single CT section or slice.
What is Multiple scan average dose (MSAD)?
A calculation of the average cumulative dose to each slice within the center of the a scan consisting of multiple slices.
What is pitch?
The amount of table travel per tube rotation divided by the collimation.
Window Level value of Gray/White Matter
35
Window Width value of Gray/White Matter
100
Window Level value of Bone (Head Work)
400
Window Width value of Bone (Head Work)
3000
Window Level value of a hemorrhage/hematoma
75