Technical Area Computed Tomography (CT)
Type of Exams: Computed Tomography (CT)

Ultrasound Technical Area
Type of Exams: Ultrasound and eco-doppler

Technical Area Emergency Service
Type of Exams: Emergency Services

The Imaging unit is equipped with the following capabilities:

• General Radiology
• Bone Densitometry
• Ultrasound
• Eco-doppler
• Mammography
• Orthopantomography
• Computed tomography (CT)

INFORMATION:

Ultrasound
For an abdominal ultrasound, you must not eat or drink anything for at least 6 hours before the exam.
For a bladder, pelvic and suprapubic prostatic ultrasound, you need to drink water (about 1l) one to two hours before the exam to fill your bladder.
For a transrectal ultrasound, the rectum needs to be cleaned using a contact laxative (Microlax).
For an abdominal paediatric ultrasound to search for reflux (up to 4 months), no eating or drinking for 3 hours and you must bring 1 feeding bottle or thermos flask with milk or warm water. For all other exams, no preparation is required.

Mammography
This exam does not require any previous preparation, but you are required to bring all previous exams (mammographies/eco-mammographies) you have.
On the day of the exam you must not put on any creams or deodorants.

Urography

On the eve of the exam:

• Follow a liquid diet during the whole day: meat or fish broths, tea, fruit juices (without pulp or gas);
• At 13h00 start drinking the PICOPREP preparation.
  • Step 1: Dissolve the 1st sachet into 150ml of cold water and stir for 2-3 minutes before drinking
  • Step 2: Next, you MUST drink 2 litres of water, tea or juices without pulp (over the course of 2 hours).
  • Step 3: At 19h00 (6 hours after taking the 1st sachet) repeat steps 1 and 2.
     

IMPORTANT NOTE: From this moment on, ABSOLUTELY NO EATING OR DRINKING

• At night use a cleansing enema with approximately 2 litres of warm water (must be applied lying down).
   

On the day of the exam:

• Do not eat or drink anything before the exam.
   

X-ray – Esophageal-gastroduodenal transit; Small intestine transit;
Do not eat or drink anything for 6 hours prior to the exam.
After the exam you may eat as per normal.

Opaque Enema

On the eve of the exam:

• Follow a liquid diet during the whole day: meat or fish broths, tea, fruit juices (without pulp or gas);
• At 13h00 start drinking the PICOPREP preparation.
  • Step 1: Dissolve the 1st sachet into 150ml of cold water and stir for 2-3 minutes before drinking.
  • Step 2: Next, you MUST drink 2 litres of water, tea or juices without pulp (over the course of 2 hours).
  • Step 3: At 19h00 (6 hours after taking the 1st sachet) repeat steps 1 and 2.
     

IMPORTANT NOTE: From this moment on, ABSOLUTELY NO EATING OR DRINKING

• At night use a cleansing enema with approximately 2 litres of warm water (must be applied lying down). On the day of the exam: No eating or drinking before the exam.
   

The drug that is administered rectally is excreted when the enema is expelled. However, at times small quantities of the drug may remain in the colon for some weeks.

Computed Tomography (CT)
The preparation depends on the type of exam that will be undertaken. When you schedule the exam, you will be told what type of preparation you need to make.
In the majority of spine, joints, perisinuses and skull exams, no special preparation is needed.
In neck, thorax, abdomen and pelvic exams you must not eat any solid food for at least 4 hours before the exam, but you may drink small quantities of water or juices.
The patients who have traces of barium sulphate in their digestive tract from previous radiological studies cannot undertake CT exams.
They must bring with them all previous exams undertaken, the most recent being the most important, particularly CT exams.
Hospitalised patients must bring their clinical record with them.
If you are on any medication, continue to take your medication as per usual.
After the exam you may return to your daily routine.
Breastfeeding mothers must interrupt breastfeeding for 24 hours if they are administered intravenous iodinated contrast during the exam.
The exam is interpreted by a radiologist. A computed tomography exam is a sophisticated exam and the radiologist will need some time to interpret the images and issue his/her report.

Virtual Colonoscopy (VC)
You are going to undertake an exam that requires a rigorous intestinal cleansing. Please follow the instructions below. It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to take the quantity of liquids indicated to obtain a suitable cleansing and not have to repeat the exam.
Purchase from the pharmacy 1 package of PICOPREP® and Dulcolax

In the 3 days before the exam:

• Breakfast:
  • Infusion of lime, citronella or tea;
  • White bread with butter or margarine, dry biscuits. Lunch and Dinner:
  • White soups (potatoes, carrots, rice and pasta), meat broths;
  • Lean meat or fish, boiled or grilled (e.g., chicken, veal, ham, hake, etc.);
  • Rice, potato puree, boiled egg;
  • White bread, dry biscuits, dry cheese, natural yoghurt.
     

Do not eat fruit and do not drink milk.

On the eve of the exam:

• At lunch take 1 whole non-diluted package of E-Z-CAT (225ml).
• At 13h00 begin to drink the PICOPREP preparation.
  • Step 1: Dissolve the 1st sachet into 150ml of cold water and stir for 2-3 minutes before drinking
  • Step 2: Next, you MUST drink 2 litres of water, tea or juices without pulp (over the course of 2 hours).
  • Step 3: At 18h00 take 2 Dulcolax (5mg) pills.
  • Step 4: At 19h00 (6 hours after taking the 1st sachet) repeat steps 1 and 2.
• At dinner take 1 whole non-diluted package of E-Z-CAT (225ml).
   

You may drink up to 7 hours before the exam. From that moment on, you must not eat or drink anything.

Note: When you schedule the exam, you will be given E-Z-CAT.

Preparation with Klean-Prep
Three days prior to the exam you must follow the previously described instructions.

On the eve of the exam:

• At lunch take 1 whole non-diluted package of E-Z-CAT (225ml).
• At dinner take 1 whole non-diluted package of E-Z-CAT (225ml).
• Start taking Klean-Prep 12 hours before the exam.
• Drink a large glass (about 250ml) of the solution every 15 minutes (1 litre per hour) up to 8 hours before the exam. If the patient has difficulty in drinking this quantity of liquids so quickly, he/she can start earlier (for example, 18 hours before) and drink over longer intervals (every 30 minutes, for example), up to 8 hours before the exam. The patient must always drink the 4 litres.
   

Preparation for the exam consists in the ingestion of 4 litres, which will result in the emission of practically clean water stools.

Preparation of Klean Prep:
Dissolve the contents of a sachet into a litre of warm water (tap water or mineral water without gas). Mix well. Prepare the 4 litres of this solution in this way, necessary for the preparation (one sachet for 1 litre of water). One can change the taste with sugar or by adding lemon juice. This preparation can be placed in the fridge. This gives it a more pleasant taste.

Director
Dr. Manuel Esteves Simões
Phone: (+351) 275 330 000 Ext. 12711
E-mail: msimoes@chcbeira.min-saude.pt

Service coordinator
Rosa Maria Simões Farate Cardoso
Phone: (+351) 275 330 000 ext: 12702
E-mail: rfarate@chcbeira.min-saude.pt

Location - 1st Floor

Scheduling of exams - Schedules
Service: 24 hours
Office: 8h00 to 23h00

The exams can be scheduled directly at the scheduling desk or via telephone through (+351) 275 330 000.
All exams, with the exception of urgent exams, need to be previously scheduled.

On the day of the exam, go to the secretariat to register your exam, even if it has already been scheduled, and pay the user fee if necessary. Next, you will be told which Service area to go to.