"Our" way of performing a cardiac CT on a 64-slice Siemens Sensation 64 scanner

This entire month, all the posts will discuss "our" way of performing high quality cardiac CT scans, on our 64-slice Siemens Sensation 64 CT scanner, starting from patient preparation, right upto reporting. Though we've had some hiccups on the way, over the last 3 months, we have finally settled down to "one" way of doing things, which is now consistently giving us high-quality studies. Below is one multi-mask vrt image from a typical study showing severe LAD disease.

The discussion will be broken down into the following headings:
1. Patient preparation
2. Scanning
3. Reconstruction techniques and creation of good datasets
4. Creation of images
5. Reporting

Indications for a cardiac CT study, as suggested by the American College of Radiology as well as those that are now evident from our experience, will be discussed later.

Comments

[Puneet Bhargava]

Dear Dr Jhankaria:

I must complement you on a great effort.
I am a SR in Cardiac Radiology AIIMS, Ex Resident Diwan Chand.
It is a very informative site.
I shall be following it closely.
Please keep up the good work.
I hope to learn a lot from you.

Regards,

Puneet Bhargava

[Jaydip Datta MD]

Awesome site. Great job.
ps - check out my article in June issue of Radiology (anom cor art ) Is there any way we can collaborate or help?? I run a monthly course on CVCT in Atlanta. Do visit if u are in Atlanta

JD

Cardiovascular Imaging
Quantum Radiology

[A. Anbarasu MD FRCR]

Excellent - when all catogories are filled with the cases it will be a reference site for cardica CT. The design and look made me to go thru few cases every time!

[Bhavin Jankharia]

Puneet, Jaydip and Arasu...thank you all for the kind words. Will help to prevent any slacking-off. Jaydip, the article on coronary artery anomalies is nice and I had already reviewed it on our "literature' blog at http://bhavin.typepad.com/cardiac_lit/2005/05/anomalous_coron.html

[ASHISH DHAWAN]

Indian experience made me go through the site.it is really very interesting

[PADMA KANNAN]

WHAT IS THE HIGHEST HEART RATE YOU HAVE TAKEN UP FOR A CT CORONARY? WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH RATES ABOVE90/MIN

[Bhavin Jankharia]

We have scanned patients upto 146, if you include children and upto 96, with adults. All heart rates above 82 seem to give good results with a 330ms scan time and a two-sector reconstruction in a systolic phase (usually 40% or so)

[meghna chadha]

This site is amazing
its got tons to offer in terms of non invasive cardiac imaging.
I ve been in Cardiac Radiology for a while-and this site is really neat.
Dr Jhankaria,I ll look forward to updates.

[Dinesh Jagasia]

Fantastic web site with very good cases ..those with coronary angiography correlation are particulary valuable. Can you post some cases where stenosis severity was over or underestimated compared to invasive coronary angiography?

[schopra]

Dear Dr.Jhankaria, its such a treat to see your cases.Awesome site!
schopra
SR,G.B Pant hospital
Delhi.

[ravi masand]

Sir . pls clarify risk of radiation induced carcinoma after 64 slice ct coronary angiogram.kindly provide refrences in favour or against ..thanks