How long does a CAT scan take?

The hospital I work in scans around 10-15 minutes. It's not even a state-of-the-art hospital, but i think they spent a good amount of money in the radiology dept. just sit still and enjoy your time lol. there's no pain at all! good luck!

depends on what you are having a scan of and how old the machine is. It could be anywhere from a couple of minutes to 45 minutes. You will have to have an IV put in first. If you have bad veins or veins that are hard to find, it will obviously take longer. After the dye is injected, depending on what is being scanned the wait time is usually 30-80 seconds. not much time at all and then the scanner will begin taking images. Once the images are done, the iv will be removed and you will be able to go home. good luck.

How is the CAT scan performed?

The technologist begins by positioning the patient on the CT table. The patient's body may be supported by pillows to help hold it still and in the proper position during the scan. As the study proceeds, the table will move slowly into the CT scanner. Depending on the area of the body being examined, the increments of movement may be so small that they are almost undetectable or large enough that the patient feels the sensation of motion.

A CT examination often requires the use of different contrast materials to enhance the visibility of certain tissues or blood vessels. The contrast material may be swallowed, injected through an IV directly into the blood stream or administered by enema, depending on the type of examination. Before administering the contrast material, the radiologist or technologist may ask whether the patient has any allergies, especially to medications or iodine, and whether the patient has a history of diabetes, asthma, a heart condition, kidney problems or thyroid conditions. These conditions may indicate a higher risk of reaction to the contrast material or potential problems eliminating the material from the patient's system after the exam.

A CT examination usually takes five minutes to half an hour. When the exam is over the patient may be asked to wait until the images are examined to determine if more images are needed.

mine took about 30 minutes...they injected me with the dye right before..so there was not much of a wait time for it to take affect. But I remember having to be completely still...which made it seem a lot longer than 30 minutes. Not much to do while it is being done except concentrate on not moving!

CAT scan's usually take 20 to 30 minutes.

Well i had a cat scan about 5 years ago i never had the die but i beleve the wate time to be around 30 mins