Table 1.
Detailed computed tomography acquisition parameters for each protocol
| Scan | Scan type | Thickness | Pitch | Tube potential (kV) | Tube current (mA) | Prep group (sec) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head and neck arterial CT | Helical | 1.25 mm | 0.938:1 | 120 | 150-180 (smart mA) | 25-30 s based upon bolus tracking (arterial phase CT) |
| Brain CT | Axial | 2.5 mm | - | 120 | 250 mA | 0 s |
| Pelvis arterial CT | Helical | 1.25 mm | 0.938:1 | 120 | 150-200 (Smart mA) | 25-30 s based upon bolus tracking (arterial phase CT) |
| Thorax CT | Helical | 1.25 mm | 1.375:1 | 120 | 150-180 (smart mA) | 5.9 s |
| Whole Body CT | Helical | 3.75 mm | 1.375:1 | 120 | 150-320 (smart mA) | 40-50 s delay based upon contrast administered (venous phase CT) |
Smart mA – Modulates tube current according to patient characteristics. In Thorax CT 5.9 sec prep is to used to instruct patient to hold their breath during acquisition (to limit motion artifacts in image). For simplicity of calculation, Smart Prep CT was included in Arterial phase CT. CT: Computed tomography