Scans, Tests and Procedures

MRI

MRI — Magnetic Resonance Imaging

An MRI uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed pictures of the inside of your body. Unlike a CT scan, an MRI does not use X-rays.

Before an MRI, your healthcare team will ask about metal implants, medical devices, and other objects that may not be safe around the MRI's strong magnet.

The machine can be loud, and you'll usually be offered earplugs or headphones. You may also be asked to lie still inside the scanner for a period of time.

Before your MRI, tell the team if:

• You have a pacemaker, implant, or other medical device.
• You may be pregnant.
• You have metal in your body or have had metal fragments in your eyes.
• You feel uncomfortable in enclosed spaces.

After the MRI:

Most people can return to their normal activities unless they received sedation or were given other instructions. Ask your healthcare team when you can expect your results and who will discuss them with you.

CT (CAT) scan

CT — Computed Tomography

A CT scan uses X-rays and computer technology to create detailed images of the inside of your body. CT scans are often used to look at areas such as the head, chest, abdomen, or bones.

Some CT scans are done with contrast, while others are done without it. Contrast helps certain organs, blood vessels, or areas of the body show up more clearly.

If contrast is planned, your healthcare team may review your medical history, previous reactions to contrast, medications, and kidney function to determine whether contrast is appropriate for you.

Before your CT, ask:

• Will my scan use contrast?
• Do I need to avoid eating or drinking beforehand?
• Have you reviewed my allergies and kidney function?
• What should I expect during the scan?

After a CT with contrast:

Follow the instructions given by your healthcare team. Some people may briefly notice a warm or unusual sensation when contrast is given. Tell your nurse or healthcare team if you develop symptoms such as a rash, itching, swelling, or difficulty breathing.

Ultrasound

An ultrasound uses sound waves to create pictures of areas inside your body. It does not use radiation and is often a simple, non-invasive test.

You may have an ultrasound in a department or, in some situations, right at your bedside. A technician places a small amount of gel on your skin and moves a handheld device called a transducer over the area being examined.

Before your ultrasound:

Your preparation depends on what part of your body is being examined. You may be asked to have a full bladder or avoid eating for a period of time.

During the ultrasound:

You may feel some pressure as the technician moves the transducer over your skin. You can ask questions if you're unsure about what is happening.

After the ultrasound:

The gel can be wiped off, and most people can return to normal activities unless they are given other instructions.

Colonoscopy

A colonoscopy allows a healthcare provider to look inside your large intestine using a flexible tube with a small camera.

Before Your Colonoscopy

The colon needs to be cleaned so your healthcare provider can see clearly. This usually involves a special preparation solution and following specific diet and drinking instructions the day before.

Your healthcare team will also review your medications and tell you if any need to be changed or temporarily stopped.

During the procedure, you may receive medication to help you relax and stay comfortable. The type and amount of sedation varies depending on your situation and the facility.

After Your Colonoscopy

You may feel some gas, bloating, or mild abdominal discomfort afterward. If you received sedation, you'll need time for it to wear off and will generally need someone to take you home rather than driving yourself.

If a biopsy or other tissue sample was taken, ask when you can expect those results.

Let your healthcare team know right away if you experience severe abdominal pain, significant bleeding, fever, or other concerning symptoms.

Endoscopy

An upper endoscopy allows a healthcare provider to look at your upper digestive system using a flexible camera that passes through your mouth and into your esophagus, stomach, and the beginning of your small intestine.

Before Your Endoscopy

Your stomach usually needs to be empty for the procedure. Your healthcare team will tell you when to stop eating and drinking.

They will also review your medications and let you know whether anything needs to be held or adjusted. If you wear dentures or removable dental devices, you may be asked to remove them before the procedure.

After Your Endoscopy

You may have a mild sore throat or some bloating afterward. If you received sedation, you will need time to recover and should follow your healthcare team's instructions about driving and other activities.

Tell your healthcare team if you develop severe chest or abdominal pain, significant difficulty swallowing, vomiting blood, or black stools.

Surgery

Surgery can range from a relatively simple procedure to a more complex operation. Your healthcare team will explain why the surgery is needed, what type of anesthesia may be used, and what to expect during recovery.

Before surgery, you may be asked about:

• Medications and allergies
• When you should stop eating and drinking
• Medical conditions or previous surgeries
• Transportation and help at home if you are going home after surgery

After surgery: Your team will monitor your pain, vital signs, incision, movement, and recovery. You may be encouraged to take deep breaths and get up and move when it is safe.

Ask: “What should I expect during recovery, and what signs should I report?”

Chest Tube

A chest tube is placed through the chest to remove air or fluid around the lung. Removing the air or fluid can help the lung expand and may make breathing easier.

You may feel pressure during placement, even though the area is numbed first. Afterward, the tube connects to a drainage system that needs to remain in the correct position.

Ask: “Why do I need the chest tube, and how will I know when it can come out?”

Tell your nurse: If you develop increased shortness of breath, worsening pain, or notice that the tubing has become disconnected, kinked, or pulled.

Central Line

A central line is a special IV catheter placed into a larger vein. It may be used when you need certain medications, multiple IV treatments, or frequent blood draws.

The area is cleaned carefully, numbed, and kept sterile during placement. Ultrasound may be used to help guide the procedure.

Ask: “Why do I need a central line instead of a regular IV, and how long might I need it?”

Simply Explained: Ask your healthcare team each day whether the line is still needed. Removing unnecessary lines can reduce the chance of infection.

Wound Debridement

Debridement removes dead or damaged tissue from a wound so healthier tissue has a better opportunity to heal. Depending on the wound, it may be performed at the bedside or in an operating room.

Your healthcare team will explain what type of debridement is appropriate and how your discomfort will be managed.

Ask: “How will my pain be managed, and what can I expect during the healing process?”

Tell your nurse: If you notice increasing pain, spreading redness, unusual drainage, a new odor, or fever.

Paracentesis

A paracentesis removes extra fluid that has collected in the abdomen. A small needle or catheter is used after the area is numbed, and ultrasound may help guide the procedure.

Removing fluid can sometimes relieve abdominal pressure, bloating, or difficulty breathing.

Ask: “Why has fluid collected in my abdomen, and will the fluid be tested?”

Afterward: Your healthcare team will monitor the procedure site and how you are feeling.

Thoracentesis

A thoracentesis removes fluid from around the lung. The area is numbed, and ultrasound is often used to help guide the procedure.

You may feel pressure during the procedure and may notice coughing as the lung has more room to expand.

Ask: “Why is there fluid around my lung, and what will you learn from removing it?”

Tell your nurse: If you develop new or worsening shortness of breath or chest pain afterward.

Lumbar Puncture

A lumbar puncture, sometimes called a spinal tap, collects a small amount of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It can help healthcare providers investigate certain infections, bleeding, or neurological conditions.

The lower back is numbed before the procedure. You may feel pressure during the procedure and will be asked to remain still.

Ask: “What are you looking for with this test, and when should I expect the results?”

Afterward: Follow your healthcare team's instructions about activity, fluids, and what symptoms to report.

Breathing Tube — Intubation

Intubation involves placing a breathing tube through the mouth and into the windpipe. It may be needed when a person cannot breathe adequately on their own or when anesthesia is required for certain surgeries.

Medication is generally given to make the person unconscious or very comfortable during placement. Once the tube is in place, it can be connected to a ventilator to help with breathing.

Ask, when possible: “What is the goal of the breathing tube, and what needs to happen before it can be removed?”

While the breathing tube is in place, you cannot speak normally. Your healthcare team can help you communicate through writing, gestures, or communication boards.

Arterial Line

An arterial line, often called an art line, is a small catheter placed into an artery. It allows the healthcare team to continuously monitor blood pressure and obtain certain blood samples without repeated needle sticks.

It is commonly used during surgery or for patients who need close monitoring in an intensive care setting.

Ask: “Why do I need an arterial line, and how long will it stay in?”

Tell your nurse: If the hand or fingers become cold, numb, unusually pale, blue, swollen, or painful.

Bedside Bronchoscopy

A bronchoscopy uses a small flexible camera to look inside the breathing passages. It may be used to examine the airways, remove mucus, or collect samples.

Medication and numbing medicine are used to help keep you comfortable. You may experience coughing or a gagging sensation during the procedure.

Ask: “What are you looking for, and will you be taking any samples?”

Afterward: Your throat may remain numb for a while, so follow your healthcare team's instructions about when it is safe to eat and drink.

Foley Catheter Insertion

A Foley catheter is a soft tube placed through the urethra into the bladder to drain urine into a collection bag. Your nurse uses sterile technique and lubrication to help make the procedure safe and as comfortable as possible.

What might you feel? You may feel pressure or brief discomfort during insertion. Tell your nurse if you experience significant pain.

Before the Procedure

• Ask why the catheter is needed and how long it may be necessary.
• You will be positioned and covered to protect your privacy.
• Tell your nurse about latex allergies or previous difficult catheterizations.
• You can ask for a chaperone or, when possible, a same-gender caregiver if that helps you feel more comfortable.

After the Procedure

• Keep the drainage bag below the level of your bladder and off the floor.
• Tell your nurse about pain, burning, bladder spasms, blood in the urine, or if urine stops draining.
• Let your nurse know if the tubing becomes kinked, pulled, or uncomfortable.
• Ask your healthcare team each day whether the catheter is still needed. Removing it when it is no longer necessary can help reduce the risk of infection.

🗣️ Ask Your Healthcare Team

“Why do I need the catheter, and when can it be removed?”

IV Insertion — Peripheral IV

A peripheral IV is a small, flexible catheter placed into a vein, usually in the hand or arm. It may be used to give medications, fluids, or other treatments.

What might you feel? You may feel a quick pinch when the needle enters the skin. The needle is then removed, leaving the soft catheter in the vein.

Before the Procedure

• Tell your nurse which arm or veins have worked well for you in the past.
• Tell your healthcare team about a dialysis fistula, previous breast surgery, blood clot, or another reason an arm should be avoided.
• If you are difficult to stick, ask whether ultrasound guidance or additional assistance is available.
• If you have had multiple unsuccessful attempts, you can ask whether another experienced clinician or IV team can assist.

After the Procedure

Tell your nurse right away if you notice:

• Pain or burning
• Swelling
• Leaking
• Redness
• Coolness
• Increasing discomfort around the IV

Keep the dressing clean, dry, and intact, and be careful not to pull on the tubing when moving or getting out of bed.

As your treatment changes, ask whether the IV is still needed.

🗣️ Ask Your Healthcare Team

“What is my IV being used for, and how long will I need it?”

Tracheostomy (Trach) Care

A tracheostomy, often called a trach, is a breathing tube that goes through a small opening in the front of the neck. Nurses may clean around the opening, care for the inner cannula, suction mucus, and provide humidification to help keep secretions from becoming too thick.

What might you feel? Suctioning can cause coughing or a brief uncomfortable sensation. Speaking may be different with a trach, but communication tools such as a speaking valve, writing board, or phone app may help.

Before Trach Care

• Ask your nurse to explain what will be done.
• Agree on a hand signal or another way to communicate if you need the procedure to pause.
• Tell your nurse if suctioning causes significant discomfort or anxiety.
• Keep your call light and communication device within reach.
• Ask your healthcare team what emergency equipment should be available at the bedside.

After Trach Care

Tell your nurse if you experience:

• Increasing difficulty breathing
• Thick mucus that is difficult to clear
• New or increased bleeding
• Changes around the trach opening
• Redness, soreness, or moisture around the neck

Ask whether speech therapy can help with communication or swallowing when appropriate.

🗣️ Ask Your Healthcare Team

“Can you explain how you are caring for my trach and what changes I should report?”

Rectal Tube

A rectal tube is a soft tube that may be used when a patient has frequent, liquid stool. It can help direct stool into a collection bag and protect the surrounding skin.

What might you feel? You may experience pressure, fullness, or the sensation that you need to have a bowel movement.

Before the Procedure

• Ask why the rectal tube is needed and how long it may be used.
• Tell your nurse about hemorrhoids, rectal problems, recent rectal or colon surgery, or bleeding.
• Ask for privacy during the procedure.

After the Procedure

Your nurse may regularly check your skin and the tube's position.

Tell your nurse if you experience:

• Persistent pain or cramping
• Rectal bleeding
• Significant discomfort
• Stool leaking around the tube

Ask when the tube can be removed as your bowel movements change.

🗣️ Ask Your Healthcare Team

“How will this help protect my skin, and when might it be removed?”

G-Tube (Feeding Tube)

A gastrostomy tube, or G-tube, is placed through the abdominal wall into the stomach. It can provide nutrition, fluids, and medications when swallowing is unsafe or when a person cannot take enough by mouth.

The tube is usually placed by a physician or other trained specialist. After placement, nurses help care for the tube and surrounding skin and may administer feedings and medications.

What might you feel? The area around the tube may be sore or tender, especially during the first several days after placement.

Before Placement

• Follow the eating and drinking instructions provided by your healthcare team.
• Ask which medications need special instructions before the procedure.
• Make sure the procedure and its purpose have been explained to you.
• Ask whether feedings will be continuous or given at scheduled times.

After Placement

• Follow your healthcare team's instructions about positioning during and after feedings.
• Do not pull, twist, or manipulate the tube unless you have been instructed how to do so.
• Tell your nurse if the tube appears to have moved or if there is leaking around the site.
• Report increasing redness, swelling, drainage, abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, or vomiting.

🗣️ Ask Your Healthcare Team

“How will my feeding schedule work, and what should I watch for around my G-tube?”

Central Line Removal

A central line is a larger IV catheter that may be placed in a vein in the neck, chest, or arm. When it is no longer needed, a trained healthcare professional can remove it.

You may be asked to lie in a particular position or follow breathing instructions during removal to reduce the risk of air entering the bloodstream.

What might you feel? You may feel pressure or pulling as the line is removed. The area may be covered with a dressing afterward.

Before Removal

• Ask your healthcare team to explain the removal process.
• Tell them if you have difficulty lying flat.
• Ask whether you need any special medication or instructions before removal.
• Tell the team if the site is already painful or bleeding.

After Removal

• Follow instructions about how long to remain in position before getting up.
• Keep the dressing in place according to your healthcare team's instructions.
• Report bleeding that continues or soaks through the dressing.
• Seek immediate attention for sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, severe dizziness, or fainting.

Over the following days, report increasing redness, swelling, drainage, or fever around the site.

🗣️ Ask Your Healthcare Team

“Why is my central line ready to come out, and what should I expect afterward?”

Hemodialysis (HD)

Hemodialysis uses a machine to help remove waste and extra fluid from the blood when the kidneys are not able to do this adequately.

Blood travels through a dialysis access — such as a dialysis catheter, fistula, or graft — to the dialysis machine and then back to the body.

A treatment often takes several hours, although the length and schedule can vary.

What might you feel? Some people feel tired, lightheaded, cold, or experience muscle cramps during or after treatment.

Before Dialysis

Your dialysis team may check your:

• Weight
• Blood pressure
• Temperature
• Dialysis access

Your weight helps the team determine how much fluid may need to be removed.

If you have a fistula or graft, ask your healthcare team about protecting that arm. Blood pressure measurements, IVs, and blood draws may need to be avoided in that access arm.

Ask which medications, food, or fluids require special instructions before treatment.

After Dialysis

Tell your healthcare team if you experience:

• Significant dizziness
• Muscle cramps
• Nausea
• Chest pain
• Feeling unusually weak or unwell

Protect your dialysis access and report bleeding, redness, drainage, swelling, fever, or chills.

Stand up slowly after treatment because your blood pressure may change after fluid removal.

🗣️ Ask Your Healthcare Team

“What should I expect after dialysis, and when is my next treatment?”

Peritoneal Dialysis (PD)

Peritoneal dialysis uses the lining of the abdomen, called the peritoneum, to help remove waste and extra fluid from the body.

Dialysis solution is placed into the abdomen through a PD catheter. The fluid remains there for a period of time and is then drained. This process may be repeated several times, often using a machine during the night.

What might you feel? You may notice fullness or pressure while the fluid is in your abdomen. The solution may also feel cool when it enters.

Before PD

• Your dialysis team will use sterile technique when connecting the equipment.
• Your weight and vital signs may be checked.
• Get comfortable before treatment because the process may continue for several hours.
• Keep the catheter and dressing clean and protected.

During & After PD

Your healthcare team monitors the amount and appearance of drained fluid, your weight, vital signs, and how you are feeling.

Tell your dialysis team right away if you notice:

• Cloudy drainage
• Abdominal pain
• Fever or chills
• Fluid that will not drain normally
• Leaking around the catheter site

These can be important signs that need prompt evaluation.

🗣️ Ask Your Healthcare Team

“What should my dialysis fluid look like, and what changes should I report?”

Wound Care & Dressing Changes

Wound care may include cleaning the wound, assessing the tissue and drainage, and applying a dressing selected for your particular wound.

Some wounds may require specialized treatment, including a wound vacuum (negative-pressure wound therapy) that uses gentle suction through a sealed dressing to help manage drainage and support healing.

Your wound may be measured or photographed by the healthcare team to monitor progress.

What might you feel? Removing a dressing or packing material can sometimes be uncomfortable. Let your nurse know about your pain so your care team can plan appropriate pain management.

Before the Dressing Change

• Ask when your dressing will be changed and who will perform it.
• Tell your nurse about tape or adhesive allergies.
• Ask how your wound is healing and what the treatment plan is.
• If you are concerned about pain, ask what pain-management options are available before the procedure.

After the Dressing Change

Tell your nurse if you notice:

• Increasing or new pain
• Spreading redness or swelling
• Increased drainage
• New or unusual odor
• Fever
• A dressing that becomes loose or soaked
• A wound-vac alarm or loss of the dressing seal

Before leaving the hospital, ask about wound care at home, supplies, follow-up appointments, and whether home nursing is needed.

🗣️ Ask Your Healthcare Team

“What is the plan for my wound, and what should I watch for after I leave the hospital?”