Central Baptist Hospital is the first facility in the region to offer the 64-slice CT scanner that makes the test easier for patients, provides high-quality images, and can be used for innovative new cardiac procedures.

“The new CT scanner improves our capabilities and images, as well as opens doors for the future,” said Bill Broaddus, director of Radiology.

The Siemens Somatom Sensation 64 replaces the previous four-slice unit. “The increased speed of this unit will be advantageous in terms of accuracy and comfort for both trauma and pediatric patients,” said Broaddus.  “The speed of the unit also means patients will only have to hold their breath briefly during the scan, and it provides a low radiation dose.”

Every time it makes a 360-degree rotation, the scanner makes a 64-slice image of whatever thickness is needed.  The smaller image slices provide greater reconstruction capabilities.

This system can also be used to scan the heart in just minutes to detect a blockage in the heart vessels without invasive procedures.   The American Heart Association considers CT scanning to be one of the most effective, non-invasive methods for the detection of calcification in the coronary arteries.