I have had some very unnerving experiences with CT-Scans with contrast, and the explanations given to me were cause for concern.
I am aware that warmth throughout the body during the test is considered normal, however, on two occasions I felt as though my body was literally on fire. The technician administering the test admitted he could not hear me when I asked them to stop the test. He also admitted he pushed the second dose of contrast through much faster than the first dose.
Even more disturbing, he and his co-worker thought it was funny. By the way, this particular hospital is considered to be the best hospital in my area for pulmonary care.
I thank God for the young man who transported me to and from the test. When he arrived to return me to my room, he noticed I was sweating. He immediately got some paper towels, dampened them, and started wiping my face and arms. We told the nurses on my floor what happened, but they didn't seem phased.
A few hours later, I had just turned the television in my room to the OWN channel. Then suddenly, I felt as though my head and neck had been separated from the rest of my body, and could not breath. I managed to push the call button, and a nurse came who immediately called the floor doctor.
He came, followed by more nurses with a cart of some sort. I remember telling the nurse my clothes and body felt as though they were on fire. She immediately started removing my clothing while assuring me that I was not on fire.
During the incident my O2 was switched to 4. I finally started breathing better after maybe 10 minutes or so. Prior to the incident it was on 2. None of the medical professionals involved in my care could explain the cause, other than, perhaps the O2 needed adjustment.
On discharge day, I noticed someone had written “This room is a risk management hazard” on the white board in my room. This discharge nurse had no idea who, or why it was written.
On another occasion, during a PET-Scan, I was experiencing excruciating pain in my right arm, which along with my left arm, was placed above my head during the test. Again, the technician could not hear me asking to stop the test although he was standing very near to the machine. He also admitted he did not hear me.
I refused to have the test on my most recent admission which was April 2015. When asked why, I told them about my other experiences, and the fact no one was able to explain what happened. I asked when and if the imaging machines are tested, however, no one knew the answer.
After much pressure to do the test, and them agreeing to only have a supervisor do it, I agreed. After the test, the supervisor who administered it told me he lowered the contrast to 3.5, and for me to make a note of it for future reference.
I apologize for the long rant, just desperate for answers.