Questions posted in the Neurology and Neurosurgery Forum have been answered by doctors from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Question Title: CT scan result

Forum: Neurology Forum
Topic: Neuromuscular


I had a CT scan done today. It was 2:00 pm local time. The technician then said that I could call my doctor tomorrow for the results.
He said that "he won't have a written report in front of him or anything", but that I should call him tomorrow. I fully expected that I would be told at the hospital if there was a problem or not.
Of course I am nervous, and wondering if the results were done at 2:30, why I have to wait a day to know what's up. Does the radiologist not have a right to tell me or what?
I'm sure everyoner has their own system, but what is the common practice in this situation, if there is one?




_

A CT scan film can be printed ou in about ten minutes, but that doesn't mean it's read at that time. From the technician, it is generally transported to the radiologist who reads it along with all the other films of the afternoon. Your physician unless at the hospital does not have immediate access to the actual print. He is depending on the radiologist to read it given the radiologist's experience. When your physician is saying that he will get the report tomorrow, he means just that -that he will get the official reading at that time. In acute presentations or life threatening situations, a copy is often read by the radiologist quicker, but this is generally not the same time frame for other tests. Hope this was of help and good luck.


This Forum's Doctors
Craig Brooker
Cleveland Clinic
Lama Chahine, MD
Cleveland Clinic
Esteban Cheng-Ching, MD
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic, MD
Cleveland Clinic
Joanna Fong, MD
Cleveland Clinic
Expert Activity
World's longest living person passe...
11 hrs ago by Enoch Choi, MD
How To Beat Insomnia Without Medica...
Dec 01 by Steven Y Park, MD
Attention All Mouth Breathers: 5 Im...
Dec 01 by Steven Y Park, MD

[Neurology Forum]    [Neurology Forum Archives]