A new CT Scan machine at WJ Mangold Memorial Hospital in Lockney is operational and providing life-saving imaging for patients in Floyd County (courtesy photo)
LOCKNEY, TX – The latest CT (a computerized tomography) scanning equipment and software is now available in Floyd County.
The new CT machine became “fully operational for patients on April 26th,” says Vince DiFranco, CEO of Mangold Memorial Hospital.
According to the Mayo Clinic, a CT scan combines a series of X-ray images from different angles around your body. It uses computer processing to create cross-sectional images (slices) of the bones, blood vessels, and soft tissues inside your body, providing more detailed information than plain X-rays.
The new machine in Lockney can provide 100s of “slices” while the previous machine only offered a handful.
As of May 1, 2023, $304,000 in donations has helped cover around 90 percent of the cost of the technology best suited to quickly examine people who may have internal injuries from car accidents or other types of trauma. A CT scan can also visualize nearly all body parts, diagnose disease or injury, and plan medical, surgical, or radiation treatment.
The MD Anderson Cancer Center explains that a CT scan is much faster than an MRI, whereas the preparation usually takes longer than the scan, which lasts a minute or less. If someone is in a lot of pain or finds it hard to hold still for long periods, a CT scan is the best option, though an MRI might need to be done to assess other areas of concern.
