CT Scan

Symptoms

• Severe or sudden headache: The worst headache of your life or a sudden severe headache can signal bleeding in or around the brain and may need a head CT.
• Head injury: A significant blow to the head, especially with confusion, vomiting, or loss of consciousness, often warrants a CT to rule out bleeding or skull fracture.
• Severe abdominal pain: Intense, persistent, or worsening belly pain may point to appendicitis, kidney stones, a blocked or ruptured organ, or internal bleeding that CT can identify.
• Stroke warning signs: Sudden weakness, facial drooping, slurred speech, or vision loss require an urgent CT to distinguish a bleeding stroke from a clot.
• Chest or torso trauma: A hard fall, car crash, or blunt injury to the chest can cause internal bleeding or organ damage that CT can detect quickly.

When It's an Emergency

Call 911 or come to the ER immediately if you have sudden signs of a stroke — facial drooping, arm weakness, slurred speech, sudden confusion, or sudden vision loss. These require an urgent head CT to decide on treatment, and every minute matters.

Seek emergency care for a serious head injury, particularly if it is followed by loss of consciousness, repeated vomiting, worsening confusion, a seizure, or clear fluid draining from the nose or ears. These can signal bleeding inside the skull.

Come straight to Bellaire ER for severe, sudden, or worsening abdominal pain, or for major trauma to the chest or abdomen from a fall or collision. A CT scan can quickly reveal internal bleeding, a ruptured organ, appendicitis, or a serious blockage.

At Bellaire ER, CT imaging is available 24/7 on-site, so there is no waiting for an outside appointment when time is critical.

When It's Not an Emergency

Not every ache or minor injury needs an emergency CT scan. Mild, stable, long-standing symptoms — such as an occasional routine headache or minor bruising without warning signs — can usually be evaluated by your primary care physician, who may order routine imaging if appropriate.

Routine or screening CT scans (for example, follow-up of a known condition or planned surveillance imaging) are typically scheduled through your doctor or an outpatient imaging center rather than an emergency room.

For minor concerns and general questions about whether imaging is needed, telemedicine or an urgent care visit can be a reasonable first step. If your symptoms are severe, sudden, or rapidly worsening, however, do not wait — an ER visit is the safer choice.

What Happens at Bellaire ER

When you arrive at Bellaire ER, a board-certified emergency physician evaluates your symptoms and decides whether a CT scan is needed. Because imaging is on-site, there are no transfers or separate appointments.

The scan itself is quick and painless. You lie still on a table that moves through the CT scanner while it captures cross-sectional images; some scans use contrast dye, given by mouth or through an IV, to highlight blood vessels or organs.

A physician reviews the images on-site rather than sending them to an outside radiology group. Based on what the CT shows, your care team can diagnose the problem and start treatment during the same visit.

Bellaire ER also has on-site X-ray, ultrasound, and a full lab, so additional testing can be done in the same visit if needed. Both self-pay and insured patients are welcome.