Evolution and Benefits of CCTA

Evolution and Benefits of CCTA
By Allison Lemon, BSRS RT(R)(CT) and Dr. Lynette K. Watts, RT(R)

Over the last thirty years, computed tomography (CT) equipment has evolved to improve imaging. Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) procedures are becoming more popular. Recent research studies show the benefits to the patient of this noninvasive procedure. A benefit of CCTA procedures is reducing the amount of contrast medium and radiation dose without affecting the image quality. The type of CT machine used for CCTA procedures is important for image quality. Each brand and type of machine varies in cost depending on the speed and image quality. Each CT manufacturer offers different benefits such as speed (single/multiple heartbeat), pitch, spatial resolution, temporal resolution, and detector type for CCTA procedures. This article presents the findings of a literature review on the evolution of CCTA procedures and the benefits of the types of machines used in healthcare. Most articles were found on jacc.org, mdpi.
com, and nih.gov. The initial search resulted in approximately 20,000 articles. Articles were eliminated based on the years 2018–2023 for a total of 18 articles used in this review. Future research should include a quantitative study comparing a patient’s radiation dose and image quality to the type of CT machine used to perform the CCTA procedure. Studies should be done on persons of various age groups and heart rates

AHRA November/December 2024 Quick Credit

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