CT Capabilities at The Urgency Room

What Is a CT Scanner?

Computed tomography, or CT as it’s widely known as, is commonly used to quickly and accurately detect internal injuries. While a CT scanner functions differently than an X-Ray machine, it still uses X-Rays as a means of taking images of different parts of the body. Much larger than a traditional X-Ray machine, CT scanners use a gantry, which is a large metal circle that stands vertically. When receiving a CT scan, the patient lays flat on a bed that moved through the center of the gantry. While the bed moves horizontally through the gantry, moving X-Ray tubes within the gantry rotate around the patient, capturing images from all angles instead of just one like with a standard X-Ray.

A CT scanner’s X-Rays make full rotations around a patient in order to capture “slices” of the patient. Instead of receiving a flat image, physicians are able to obtain images of internal cross-sections that they can assemble, take apart turn and examine from different angles. The resulting 3D images enable physicians to be able to examine the skeleton, organs and tissues of a patient while trying to pinpoint abnormalities such as bleeding, fluid or tumors.

When Do You Need a CT Scan?

When your medical urgency calls for more information than a standard static X-Ray can provide, a CT scan may be in order. CT scans are quick and painless, and they provide a vast amount of crucial information in regard to internal injuries specifically as they can detect blood vessels and soft tissues along with bones. For example, if you are feeling severe internal discomfort when you come into your nearest Urgency Room, a CT scan could see if you’re suffering from excess fluid or internal bleeding—things a standard X-Ray may not detect as well.

CT scanners are excellent tools to detect:

- Broken bones

- Tumors

- Infections

- Blood clots

- Excess fluids

- Cystic fibrosis

- Injuries from trauma

Along with being able to detect and locate those internal abnormalities, a CT scanner can also help physicians identify issues such as heart disease or cancer. As with a standard X-Ray, you must be free of metal jewelry or accessories before getting a CT scan. In some instances, you may be asked to take or be injected with a substance called a contrast medium. When taken by mouth or injected through a vein, a contrast medium will help highlight specific areas to be examined during a CT scan. It could help identify a clot or internal bleeding among other medical problems.

Having a CT scan taken of your body can take just minutes with our advanced equipment. Once completed, our physicians will be able to examine the results on digital images of your internal injuries or ailments. The CT scan is a very safe and reliable procedure that helps physicians at your nearest Urgency Room identify, assess and treat what could be causing you pain and discomfort.

X-ray Capabilities at The Urgency Room

Why You Would Have an X-ray Taken?

X-rays are great for identifying bones, metal or other X-ray-absorbing materials within your body to identify potential problems. While X-rays are great for clearly identifying cracks or fractures in bones, they can identify many other potential medical problems as well. Some reasons you might need an X-ray include:

Bone Problems:

- Fractures

- Infections

- Arthritis

- Cavities in your teeth

- Osteoporosis

- Bone tumors for identifying cancer

Chest Problems:

- Breast cancer

- Enlarged heart

- Lung infection

- Clogged blood vessels

Abdomen Problems:

- Miscellaneous swallowed objects

- Digestive tract

X-ray testing is one of the best ways to examine a suspected broken bone. By taking images from multiple angles, these X-rays can show a physician what type of a break you have, the severity, and what can be done to stabilize and heal the bone. But beyond bones, X-rays are also absorbed by dense fusions, which is why arthritis and osteoporosis can be detected.  

Other ailments such as sinus infections can also be keenly identified using X-ray testing. Normal, healthy sinuses are usually clear of blockage and full of air, which makes them appear black on an X-ray as nothing is present to absorb the rays. When an infection is present, the buildup of mucus or pus in the once clear sinuses will absorb rays and leave a shadow on the X-ray film. This same theory applies to detecting infections in other airways or cavities that are clear or empty when healthy.

Sometimes you may be asked to ingest or receive an injection of a contrast medium. Usually made of barium or iodine, this contrast medium absorbs X-rays and can reveal potential medical problems when examining areas like the digestive tract. In rare occasion, contrast medium can cause some side effects. X-rays requiring the aid of a contrast medium may also take longer than a standard X-ray.

Vertigo - A Spinning World

It feels like seasickness or that dizzy feeling some of us get when we step off a rollercoaster -except, those suffering from this common condition aren’t boating or at an amusement park.

Vertigo is an illusory sense of spinning. It can be frightening and lead to nausea, vomiting, headaches and other symptoms. Vertigo has been linked to anxiety, a drop in blood pressure, migraines, multiple sclerosis and Meniere’s disease, a disorder of the ear that can also cause tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and hearing loss. It can also signal a more serious condition, such as a brain tumor or stroke, although that is less common.

Many of us have felt dizziness when standing up suddenly from a couch, this is not vertigo. The experience for vertigo sufferers is much more intense and includes a sensation that the world is whirling around them. Sufferers can also experience nausea and vomiting, symptoms which really get a person’s attention. Additional symptoms include abnormal or jerking eye movements, headache, sweating and ringing in the ears.

In many cases, vertigo goes away without any treatment because your brain is able to adapt to the inner ear changes. For those who need further treatment options may include vestibular rehabilitation, medicine or even surgery.

If you experience vertigo, you should see a doctor to rule out more serious causes. Thankfully there are simple and effective treatments to stop the spinning!

Minneapolis Urgent Care and More

Not satisfied with the St. Paul and Minneapolis urgent care locations currently out there?  The Urgency Room offers you something better.  We’re open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. 365 days a year, and provide outstanding patient care without the hassle and long waits you’ll find at hospital emergency rooms and local urgent cares.  We’ve raised the bar on providing an exceptional patient experience, but we don’t stop there.

On our website, UrgencyRoom.com, you’ll find our current wait times for each of our locations—Woodbury, Eagan, and Vadnais Heights.  You can find The Urgency Room closest to you in one click on your computer, tablet or smartphone.  You’ll be surprised at how quickly you can be seen by our board-certified physicians and expert emergency staff.

We also provide an assortment of After Care videos for our patients online. Tailored around different medical conditions, you can get follow-up instructions and advice for your specific ailment. This ensures proper care after your treatment and a speedier recovery.  We understand our patients may need a place to turn to even after they’ve received treatment.  Our After Care videos are an excellent resource for when you are home and healing.

We also have an easy “Pay My Bill” feature on our website to make it easy to pay for your visit to The Urgency Room.  You can pay your bill online at any time of the day or night. We also have staff available by phone to answer any billing or finance questions you may have.  Call 952-857-0644, M-F from 8:00am to 4:00pm to speak to a member of our billing team.  We are committed to going above and beyond for our patients.

Our commitment to setting the bar high doesn’t stop there, we are also active in our engagement with the communities we serve.  We are avid supporters of local nonprofit organizations and contributors to local celebrations; we work together to donate time and support to make our communities a better place.  Our physicians and staff are making a difference both inside and outside the walls of The Urgency Room.

We’re committed to being the best. Visit UrgencyRoom.com to learn more about how we can help you!