CT protocols

[Altra, BSN, RN]

Hello Radiology nurses, hoping you can give me some insight.

1. Our facility protocols require 2 hours between oral contrast administration and a scan of abd/pelvis. The same applies when oral contrast is administered via g-tube or j-tube. I can't get anyone to explain why 2 hours is still needed. I would think that administering the contrast that much further along the GI tract would decrease the prep time. Any thoughts?

2. Do you have any problems using saline locks w/J-loops, extension sets, what-have-you for power injections of contrast, or do you require the lock to be capped with a luer lock only? What is the rationale? From my perspective, the tubing of the extension set is larger than the actual IV cannula, so I can't imagine why it would cause a problem.

Thanks in advance.

[KnittingRN7]

I asked the same question about extensions and our CT tech said the injector injects at 300pounds per square inch (psi). According to her that could rupture the extension. It would be best if you contacted the manufacturer of your extensions and ask them the psi it can handle.

Our facility does cardiac CT angios and rarely other diagnostic ct's so I don't have an answer about the oral contrast. It seems long. When I work the hospital I thought we have 1/2 bottle 1 hr before and the other 1/2 30min before and the dept gave a bit more when pt arrived. I hope that helps.

[jkeys100]

I don't work in radiology but when we prep the pt's for an abdomin/pelvis we give them 2 bottles of readi-cat or 2 glasses of gastrograhin mix one hour before the scan. Never 2 hours. Always 1 hour.

The patients have to have a 20 guage above the wrist and they all have J loops, we have to heplock the patients before they go down.

[wabrams]

Hello Radiology nurses, hoping you can give me some insight.

1. Our facility protocols require 2 hours between oral contrast administration and a scan of abd/pelvis. The same applies when oral contrast is administered via g-tube or j-tube. I can't get anyone to explain why 2 hours is still needed. I would think that administering the contrast that much further along the GI tract would decrease the prep time. Any thoughts?

The time varies from Radiology practice to radiology practice, but the reason behind the hour to 2 hour wait is to give the contrast time to fill the small bowel and enter the cecum.

[rnmontana12]

:coollook:In our facility our protocol is 1 hour before for the oral contrast. If the Rad has a hard time seeing anything, sometimes (rarely) they are given another half bottle and then scanned again.

To the IV connecting tubing. The contrast is injected at a very high rate, this rate can be decreased if needed based on the patients condition. If you ever have a connector come off/ or the adapting tubing blow while you are injecting you will never forget it. The contrast is VERY sticky, turns white after it dries and can be found in every possible nook and cranny in the CT suite.