RadteraCT Whole-Body Trauma (Pan-Scan)
CT+ ContrastWhole Bodyverify
Indications
- Major blunt polytrauma with significant mechanism / hemodynamic concern
- Rapid head-to-pelvis survey for life-threatening injuries
- Multisystem trauma triage
Patient prep
- Trauma team coordination; maintain spinal precautions
- Large-bore IV (16-18G) for high-rate power injection
- Remove radiopaque objects when possible; monitor for instability
- Renal function not allowed to delay in emergent trauma
Contrast
Agentiodinated (iohexol 350 / iopamidol 370)
RouteIV
Dose~100-150 mL at 3-5 mL/s; split-bolus techniques common
TimingNon-contrast head; then contrast-enhanced from neck/chest through pelvis. Often split-bolus or multiphase: arterial for chest/CTA aorta + portal venous for abdomen; some protocols add arterial + portal venous (and delayed/excretory for renal injury)
Technique
- Supine, arms up if possible (or positioned to avoid artifact in unstable patient)
- Non-contrast head + C-spine, then contrast-enhanced chest/abdomen/pelvis as a continuous acquisition
- Split-bolus or dual-phase to capture arterial (aorta/great vessels) and portal venous (solid organs) in fewer passes—reduces dose
- 120 kV, dose modulation; thin sub-mm collimation with bone/soft tissue recon and multiplanar reformats of spine/pelvis
- Add delayed (excretory) phase if collecting system/renal injury or active bleeding suspected; CTA neck if BCVI criteria
Series / Sequences
| # | Series / Sequence | Plane | Thickness | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Axial head non-contrast | axial | 3-5 mm (+bone) | Hemorrhage, fracture |
| 2 | C-spine bone + reformats | axial/sag/cor | 0.625-2 mm | From the same/dedicated acquisition |
| 3 | Chest arterial / CTA aorta | axial | 1-2.5 mm | Aortic injury, vascular |
| 4 | Abdomen/pelvis portal venous | axial | 2.5-3 mm | Solid organ/bowel/mesenteric injury |
| 5 | Coronal/Sagittal reformats | coronal/sagittal | 2-3 mm | Spine, pelvis, whole-body overview |
| 6 | Delayed/excretory (if indicated) | axial | 2.5-3 mm | Active bleed vs pseudoaneurysm, urinary tract injury |
Key points
- Speed and completeness are priorities; split-bolus reduces dose while preserving arterial + venous information
- Non-contrast head and C-spine paired with contrast-enhanced torso is the standard pan-scan combination
- Add CTA neck for blunt cerebrovascular injury when mechanism/criteria met (Denver/Memphis)
- Delayed phase distinguishes active extravasation from contained vascular injury and assesses urinary tract
- Reconstruct dedicated bone reformats of spine/pelvis from torso data to avoid extra acquisitions
- Balance dose against the imperative for rapid diagnosis in unstable patients
References
• ACR Appropriateness Criteria: Major Blunt Trauma
• ACR-ASER-SPR Practice Parameter for the Performance of CT in Trauma
• Radiopaedia: trauma CT / pan-scan ( link
• ACR-ASER-SPR Practice Parameter for the Performance of CT in Trauma
• Radiopaedia: trauma CT / pan-scan ( link
Source: Researched — verify against your institution
‹ PreviousCT Chest / Abdomen / Pelvis (Oncologic Staging)Next ›Bone Scan (Tc-99m MDP, Whole Body +/- SPECT)
Reference template — verify and adapt to your scanner, vendor and institution before clinical use. Not a substitute for clinical judgment.