Imaging Services

Seeing more than meets the eye is the goal of imaging services at DeKalb Regional Medical Center (DRMC). Whether it’s an ultrasound, X-ray or mammogram, taking a picture of what’s happening inside your body can help physicians reach the proper diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

With care and compassion, the medical staff of our imaging services delivers comprehensive diagnostic testing and screening services with these tools:

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create cross-sectional images of your head, body, muscles and blood flow. Because an MRI provides a clear view of internal organs and tissues, it helps physicians diagnose injuries and other health conditions much faster than with other technologies. DRMC installed the Achieva 1.5 Tesla MRI from Philips Medical Systems in 2007. With the addition of this system, DRMC ensures the patients of the DeKalb County area receive advanced medical technology, close to home. For patients who have pacemakers or implantable cardioverter defibrillators, a computed tomography (CT) scan may be a safer imaging tool. (The devices may malfunction during an MRI scan).
   
• Computerized tomography (CT) creates detailed images of your body’s internal organs using X-rays with computer technology. The doughnut-shaped scanner uses radiation to create cross-sectional images, or “slices,” that help physicians detect tumors, heart disease or internal injuries or bleeding. A CT scan may require that you not eat or drink if you have to drink a contrast liquid—which helps healthcare providers see body structures more clearly—or have a contrast dye injected before the test. The exam usually lasts less than an hour, including any preparations, though the actual scan may only last a minute or two. DRMC uses a 16-slice Siemens CT scanner. 
   
• Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to evaluate organs in the body and commonly to examine fetal development. Detailed images are returned in real time, making ultrasound particularly helpful for guiding minimally invasive procedures—such as needle biopsies—and for visualizing organ, blood vessel and tissue movement.
   
• Nuclear medicine uses tiny amounts of radioactive materials to perform heart studies and diagnose bone cancer, bone infections and stress fractures. The radioactive materials are introduced into the patient’s body by injection, swallowing or inhalation. Special cameras that work with computers detect the radioactive materials to provide sharp images of the body.
   
• X-rays view bones and help physicians examine the chest. The Precision 500D X-ray system at DRMC helps physicians perform both radiography and fluoroscopy procedures and allows them to confidently diagnose conditions in the chest, spine, bone, digestive tract, uterus and bladder. With the added benefit of fluoroscopy capability, DRMC offers physicians the ability to study flow or motion in patients when necessary. Similar to an X-ray “movie,” fluoroscopy can include imaging of dynamic processes such as throat abnormalities.
   
• Digital mammography uses computers and specially designed digital detectors to produce an image that can be displayed on a high-resolution computer monitor, and transmitted and stored just like computer files.
   
• Bone densitometry measures the density of the spine, hip and other bones—the most frequent sites of fracture—and compares it to an established norm to produce a score. This number helps your physician determine your risk of developing osteoporosis. A bone density test is a relatively simple, quick and painless way to determine your bone health.

If you need an imaging study, you can feel confident in DRMC’s technology and the extensively trained team.

Early detection is key!

When it comes to disease, early diagnosis is key to effective treatment. If you need advanced imaging, you can get it close to home at DRMC. To see how our imaging services can help you, call 256-997-2193.