The American Institute of Ultrasound states that "...no confirmed biological effects on patients...caused by exposures and intensities typical of present diagnostic ultrasound instruments have been reported". Despite the use of ultrasound for several decades, no known harmful effects have been documented.

A fast is required firstly to reduce bowel gas in the abdomen and secondly to distend the gall bladder which facilitates a more accurate assessment of gall bladder abnormalities. Ultrasound waves cannot pass through gas filled loops of bowel and therefore minimizing gas is important.

The preparation required for an ultrasound varies from region to region. If your doctor has requested scans of two or more regions, it may be necessary to attend at separate times. Long procedures such as the assessment of the arteries of both legs are often performed in two sessions on different days. This is often more acceptable for the patient and is less fatiguing for the ultrasonographer.

A full bladder acts as a window through which clearer pictures of the pelvic structures such as the uterus, ovaries and prostate can be visualised. Also the bladder walls can only be assessed when the bladder is distended.

Gel acts as a coupling medium allowing efficient transfer of the ultrasound from the probe into the body.

The gel is colourless and water soluble and will not stain your clothing.

A full series of images demonstrating all parts of the baby including the face will be provided on laser film.
QDI has a policy of not providing videotapes of obstetric examinations.

An ultrasonographer specifically trained in ultrasound usually performs the scan. At QDI, the ultrasonographers must have completed a training programme in ultrasound or are undertaking such a programme. A radiologist, a medically trained doctor who has specialised in radiology, may also perform part of the scan particularly if there is a requirement to clarify a finding.

The time required depends on the particular examination. Most scans take around half an hour. Vascular examinations and echocardiograms take up to an hour or more.

Ultrasound is a painless examination.

Very occasionally nausea or vomiting is experienced during an angiogram or interventional procedure. An empty stomach reduces the risk of choking in the event of vomiting.

Some discomfort can occur during stages of the procedure. Local anesthetic is used at the arterial puncture site. Intravenous pain medication or sedation may also be administered.

At QDI we use only non ionic contrast which is the safest product available. A sensation of heat, a metallic taste or smell or a sensation in the bladder may be experienced for less than a minute after the injection. Nausea and vomiting are uncommon with non ionic contrast. There is a small possibility of an allergic reaction. Patients with a history of allergies or asthma may be given a short course of prednisone before contrast is administered. If a reaction occurs, emergency equipment and medications are available at all QDI sites where contrast is used. See also our Safety Issues web page.

Driving is not permitted for 24 hours after an angiogram. This time is required to ensure complete healing of the puncture site in the artery, usually in the groin. In addition, medication administered during the procedure such as pain killers or sedatives may impair a person's ability to drive. A responsible person should be available to drive you home.

Vascular interventional radiology and angiography are performed by QDI radiologists with a specific interest and expertise in this field.

Pressure is applied during a mammogram to spread out the breast tissue which improves the diagnostic clarity of the images. The compression causes discomfort but is applied only for a short period of time.

No. Not all cancers can be detected on a mammogram. Difficulty can be encountered particularly if the breasts contain a large amount of dense breast tissue. Accuracy is improved if previous films are made available at the time of film reading.

Diagnostic mammograms referred by a doctor to clarify a clinically apparent abnormality attract a medicare rebate. Screening mammograms attract a rebate only if there is a family history of breast cancer.

Diagnostic mammograms are requested by referring doctors to evaluate a clinically apparent abnormality. Screening mammograms are performed on asymptomatic women commencing at the age of forty. The screening mammogram should be repeated every 1-2 years up to age fifty and then every 2 years after. Women with a history of a prior breast tumour are screened every year.

These products may contain small dense particles that may show up on the mammograms.

CT scanning is painless. An injection of contrast may be required.

Not in all cases. Contrast is not used for scan of the spine or sinuses. Contrast may be required for other scans. Please inquire when making the booking.

At QDI we use only non ionic contrast which is the safest product available. A sensation of heat, a metallic taste or smell or a sensation in the bladder may be experienced for less than a minute after the injection. Nausea and vomiting are uncommon with non ionic contrast. There is a small possibility of an allergic reaction. Patients with a history of allergies or asthma may be given a short course of prednisone before contrast is administered. If a reaction occurs, emergency equipment and medications are available at all QDI sites where contrast is used. See also our Safety Issues web page.

There are no known harmful effects of I.V. Contrast in breast milk however as a precaution it is preferable to refrain from breast feeding for 24 hours. Formula or expressed milk can be given to your baby during this period.

It is preferable to avoid CT scanning during pregnancy especially in the first 12 weeks unless there is a medically urgent indication. Scans of the upper body can be performed with a protective lead gown over the pelvis to cover the womb. I.V. Contrast is usually withheld unless it is essential.

Scans of the abdomen and pelvis are easier to interpret if there is dilute barium in the bowel.

The I.V. Contrast is filtered unchanged by the kidneys with most of the administered dose appearing in the urine within a few hours. Orally administered barium passes through the intestine and is not absorbed.

X-Rays are ionising radiation and as such can alter chemical structure. In diagnostic imaging, the radiation dose is small and confined to the region of interest. The small risk associated with the procedure is out weighed by the benefit of the results from the test. See also our Safety Issues web page.

In most cases, no. For examinations on children, an escort can stay in the CT scan room during the procedure. A lead gown will be provided to the escort.

Although not as big an issue as with MRI, Claustrophobia may be a problem with CT and you may require sedation before the scan. Please inform the staff beforehand if you suffer from claustrophobia.

This varies from half an hour for most scans (e.g. of the head, spine, sinuses and chest) up to an hour and a half for abdominal or pelvic scans. (With abdominal and pelvic scans, orally administered contrast is required during the hour leading up to the actual scan.)

No. Normal eating and activity may resume immediately after a CT scan.

X-Rays are high energy ionising radiation and as such can alter chemical structure. In diagnostic imaging, the radiation dose is small and confined to the region of interest. The small risk associated with the procedure is outweighed by the benefit of the results from the test. See also our Safety Issues web page.

Not all patients having a general X-Ray examination have appointments. Often, a referring doctor sends a patient straight to X-Ray for an urgent examination particularly in trauma cases. It is therefore not possible to predict how busy an X-Ray practice will be from moment to moment. Scheduled patients are given preference over 'walk in' patients in non urgent cases. It should also be noted that other patients in the waiting room may be having some other type of investigation using different equipment and different rooms. The availability of rooms varies sometimes unpredictably. It is therefore possible that you may be waiting longer than other patients in the waiting room.

Watches and jewelry may have to be removed if they are in the region of interest as they show up on X-Ray film.

The radiologist may request additional views to clarify the examination. Extra films are also required if there has been a technical problem such as positioning, movement, or exposure.

An escort is allowed in the room for examinations on children. A lead coat will be provided in this circumstance.

Artifacts are caused by metal in clothing e.g. zips, belt buckles, studs and clips on bras, obscuring information.

Movement including breathing causes blurring of the images. For a chest X-Ray, more information is obtained if the X-Ray is obtained during inspiration.

I.V. Contrast is injected into the blood stream during an IVP (Intravenous Pyelogram) to outline the kidneys. I.V. Contrast contains iodine and is colourless. It is sometimes referred to as "dye" but contrast is a more appropriate term. I.V. Contrast is filtered unchanged by the kidneys with most of the administered dose appearing in the urine within a few hours.

There are no known harmful effects of I.V. Contrast in breast milk however as a precaution it is preferable to refrain from breast feeding for 24 hours. Formula or expressed milk can be given to your baby during this period.

The barium used in radiology is not absorbed by the intestine and is harmless. Allergic reactions to barium are extremely rare.

Not all people find the taste unpleasant. Different manufacturers use different flavours to make the barium taste better.

Barium sulfate is used as a contrast agent because being a dense material it shows up on X-Rays. The density of barium accounts for the heaviness. The mixture of barium is thick to improve coating of the oesophagus or stomach..

Orally or rectally administered barium is not absorbed and passes through the intestine unaltered.

X-Ray tables are required to withstand considerable stress and are therefore are rigid structures. A thin foam mattress can be used to make the procedures more comfortable.

There are no known harmful biological effects associated with MRI at the magnetic field strengths and radiofrequencies used.

The magnetic information on a credit card can be erased by the strong magnetic field in the MRI room..

The knocking sound during an MRI is due to vibrations in the gradient coils in which the electrical current is rapidly alternating.

Movement during a scan degrades the image. It is therefore important that no movement of the part being imaged occurs during the acquisition i.e. while the knocking sound can be heard.

An escort may be allowed in the room provided they have no metal objects with or inside them. Credit cards must also be removed.

Claustrophobia may be a problem and you may require sedation before the scan. Please inform the staff beforehand if you suffer from claustrophobia.

An injection of gadolinium may be used in some instances depending on the reason for the scan. This requires a small needle to be inserted into an arm vein. Gadolinium is extremely safe and allergic reactions are rare. You will not be aware of the injection as there are no significant side effects.

There are no known harmful effects of MRI on the developing foetus. It is still however preferable to avoid scanning during pregnancy especially in the first 12 weeks unless there is a medically urgent indication.

The gamma rays emitted by the radiopharmaceuticals used in nuclear medicine are high energy ionising radiation and as such can alter chemical structure. In nuclear medicine minute quantities of radiopharmaceuticals are used and the radiation dose is small, being comparable to an X-Ray examination. The small risk associated with the procedure is outweighed by the benefit of the results from the test. See also our Safety Issues web page.

The incidence of allergies to radiopharmaceuticals is negligible.

Nuclear medicine uses minute quantities of radioactive substances which emit ionising radiation analogous to X-Rays. Scanning during pregnancy particularly in the first 12 weeks should therefore be avoided unless the indication is urgent.

In many scans, time is required for the radiopharmaceutical to be taken up by the organ or region of interest. This can take minutes, hours or in the case of gallium scans, days.

In a bone scan, around half the injected dose of radiopharmaceutical is excreted in the urine. Emptying the bladder reduces the total radiation dose from the procedure. An empty bladder is also required during scanning to enable better images of the pelvic bones.

Minimal radioactivity can be traced in breast milk after a nuclear medicine scan. As a precaution it is preferable to refrain from breast feeding for 24 hours following most procedures. Formula or expressed milk can be given to your baby during this period.

X-Rays are high energy ionising radiation and as such can alter chemical structure. In diagnostic imaging, the radiation dose is small and confined to the region of interest. The small risk associated with the procedure is outweighed by the benefit of the results from the test. See also our Safety Issues web page.

Additional views may be required to clarify the examination. Extra films are also required if there has been a technical problem such as positioning, movement, or an incorrect exposure.

Even though the stray X-Ray dose from an OPG is small, Radiographers are exposed over a working lifetime and the effects are cumulative. By legislation, radiation workers are required to minimise their exposure to X-Rays. An escort is allowed in the room for examinations on children. A lead coat will be provided in this circumstance.

Movement causes blurring of the images.

The X-ray dose in this procedure is very small and not of any significance.

The stray X-Ray dose from bone densitometry is negligible and therefore other people are allowed in the room during a scan.

Medicare provides a rebate for patients with known osteoporosis, patients with fractures after minimal trauma and patients at risk of osteoporosis for a variety of medical reasons that are specified in the medicare schedule. Please discuss this issue with our staff prior to the scan.

In most cases, the scan should be repeated every two years. Some patients require yearly scans. The interval will usually be decided by the referring doctor. Medicare restricts payment to one scan every two years in most instances.