Computed Tomography (CT): Scheduling Guide & Exam Codes
Purpose: This guide provides accurate scheduling support for CT exams across all Washington Radiology locations. Use this resource to confirm exam type, location restrictions, patient prep, and important scheduling reminders.
Available At:
- DC K-Street
- Chevy Chase
- Sterling
Not Available At:
- Bethesda
- Fairfax
- Germantown
- Park Potomac
- Arlington
General CT Contrast Exam Guidelines:
- Contrast Exams
- ALWAYS confirm if the exam is WITH, WITHOUT, or WITH & WITOUT contrast.
- If order indicates "As Needed" or "PRN" = Schedule WITH contrast.
- No CT contrast exams can be added AFTER 3 PM for the NEXT DAY UNLESS APPROVED BY THE CT DEPARTMENT
- If the CT department is not available, schedule at least 2 business days out
- If a doctors office calls after4 PM to request an urgent CT Contrast appointment for the next day: email Leadership
- Patients with a history of any of the following MUST fax their creatinine levels to the Center before their appointment:
- Age 60 or Over
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Taking Medication for High Blood Pressure
- Taking Metformin or any Metformin Drug Combination
- History of Kidney Disease to include: Dialysis, Kidney Transplant, Single Kidney, Renal Cancer, or Renal Surgery
- Allergy Protocols
Patient Condition Action Benadryl or Epinephrine Schedule 3 business days out (5 days if pre-auth required). Iodine allergy Do NOT schedule - refer back to referring physician.
Barium Protocol
Not all exams require Barium - check Prep & Notes!
- Barium Pickup:
- Patient must bring written order with them when picking up Barium Contrast prior to exam.
- Pickup Hours: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM (Mon-Fri)
- Available At:
- Barium Instructions:
- AM Appointments:
- 9:00 PM night before: Drink 1/2 bottle of Barium
- Beginning 4 hours prior to the exam: Clear liquids only
- Suggested Clear Liquids: Water, tea/coffee (no milk), clear juice, soda. No dairy, solid food, or Jell-O
- Beginning 2 hours prior to the exam: Drink 1/2 bottle of Barium
- PM Appointments:
- 8:00 AM day of exam: Drink 1/2 bottle of Barium
- Beginning 4 hours prior to the exam: Clear liquids only
- Suggested Clear Liquids: Water, tea/coffee (no milk), clear juice, soda. No dairy, solid food, or Jell-O
- Beginning 2 hours prior to the exam: Drink 1/2 bottle of Barium
- AM Appointments:
Additional Notes:
- Blood Thinners - Ok to continue
- WR does NOT perform Coronary CT's (Cardiac Scoring is allowed)
Quick Reference: Exam Types & Guidelines
| Exam Code | Exam Description | When to Use | Location(s) & Rules | Prep & Notes |
| 523 | CT Abdomen W/ Contrast | DO NOT USE THIS CODE! ALWAYS USE "ABDOMEN & PELVIC" CODES! | ||
| 524 | CT Abdomen W/O Contrast | DO NOT USE THIS CODE! ALWAYS USE "ABDOMEN & PELVIC" CODES! | ||
| 522 | CT Abdomen W/WO Contrast | DO NOT USE THIS CODE! ALWAYS USE "ABDOMEN & PELVIC" CODES! | ||
531 | CT Angio Abdomen W/ Contrast | Abdominal aorta, mesentric arteries, renal arteries | DC & Sterling ONLY | No Barium |
529 | CT Angio Abdomen & Pelvis W/ Contrast | Abdominal aorta, mesentric arteries, renal arteries | DC & Sterling ONLY DIEP FLAP at DC ONLY | No Barium |
537 | CT Angio Non-Coronary Chest w/ Contrast | Thoracic aorta, internal mammary arteries, P.E. studies | DC & Sterling ONLY | No Barium Prep: Clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam |
529 & 537 | CT Angio DIEP Flap W/ Contrast | Breast cancer patients, deep inferior epigastric perforator | DC ONLY | No Barium Prep: Clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam |
543 | CT Angio Neck W/ Contrast | Blockage or narrowing of arteries, Carotid arteries | DC & Sterling ONLY | No Barium Prep: Clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam |
546 | CT Angio Pelvis W/ Contrast | Iliac arteries | DC & Sterling ONLY For iliac arteries ONLY WR does not perform the exam if reason is Prostate, Prostate Arteries, or planning for Prostate Artery Embolization (PAE) | No Barium Prep: Clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam |
| 968 | CT Abdomen and Chest W/ Contrast | Prep: Barium and clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam | ||
| 947 | CT Abdomen and Chest W/O Contrast | Prep: Barium | ||
| 967 | CT Abdomen and Chest W/WO Contrast | Prep: Barium and clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam | ||
| 520 | CT Abdomen and Pelvic W/ Contrast | Gallbladder, pancreas, liver, kidneys | Prep: Barium (depending on reason for exam) and clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam. If reason is due to hematuria, flank pian, to rule out kidney stones, renal prep, pancreas protocol or adrenal gland:
| |
| 521 | CT Abdomen and Pelvic W/O Contrast | Gallbladder, pancreas, liver, kidneys NOTE: CT Renal, use this code | Prep: Barium (depending on reason for exam) If reason is due to hematuria, flank pain, to rule out kidney stones, renal prep, pancreas protocol, or adrenal gland:
| |
| 519 | CT Abdomen and Pelvic W/WO Contrast | Gallbladder, pancreas, liver, kidneys NOTE: CT Urogram, use this code | Prep: Barium (depending on reason for exam) and clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam. If reason is due to hematuria, flank pian, to rule out kidney stones, urogram prep, pancreas protocol or adrenal gland:
| |
| 942 | CT Abdomen, Pelvic, and Chest W/ Contrast | Prep: Barium and clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam | ||
| 944 | CT Abdomen, Pelvic, and Chest W/O Contrast | Prep: Barium | ||
| 943 | CT Abdomen, Pelvic, and Chest W/WO Contrast | Prep: Barium and clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam | ||
| 570 | CT Chest W/ Contrast | Prep: Clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam | ||
| 571 | CT Chest W/O Contrast | No Prep | ||
| 569 | CT Chest W/WO Contrast | Prep: Clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam | ||
512 | Calcium Scoring | AKA: Cardiac Scoring or Electron Beam CT (EBCT) High blood pressure, high cholesterol, family history of heart disease | NOTE: No patients under the age of 16 Saturday appointments offered at Sterling | Exam is NOT covered by insurance. Patient will pay $250 All Calcium Scoring exams must be scheduled with the payor as "Self-Pay", unless the patient has Medicare. Insurance information will be entered for Medicare patients. If patient has other appointments for the same day, they can be billed to insurance. Prep: No caffeinated products 24 hours before exam. No exercise the day of the exam. Resting heartrate must be less than 75bpm. |
| ??? | CT Dental Mapping Could not be found in eRAD | Chevy Chase ONLY Dr. Lande ONLY | ||
945 | CT Extremity Lower W/ Contrast | Prep: Clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam | ||
611 | CT Extremity Lower W/O Contrast | MAKO Protocol, for knee or hip, schedule at Sterling or DC ONLY | No Prep | |
946 | CT Extremity Lower W/WO Contrast | Prep: Clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam | ||
667 | CT Extremity Upper W/ Contrast | Prep: Clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam | ||
668 | CT Extremity Upper W/O Contrast | No Prep | ||
666 | CT Extremity Upper W/WO Contrast | Prep: Clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam | ||
| 589 | CT Head W/ Contrast | Brain | Prep: Clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam | |
| 590 | CT Head W/O Contrast | Brain | No Prep | |
| 588 | CT Head W/WO Contrast | Brain | Prep: Clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam | |
| ??? | CT Abdomen, Pelvic and IVP Could not be found in eRAD | Prep: Clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam. Do NOT empty bladder beginning 2 hours before the appointment and until the technologist instructs you to use the restroom. | ||
| 654 | CT Internal Auditory Canal W/ Contrast | AKA: IAC or Temporal Bone Inner ear canal | Prep: Clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam | |
| 656 | CT Internal Auditory Canal W/O Contrast | AKA: IAC or Temporal Bone Inner ear canal | No Prep | |
| 934 | CT Mandible W/O Contrast | No Prep | ||
| CT Maxillofacial | Clarify on exam type, could be Orbits, Sinus, Mandible, or Teeth | |||
| 651 | CT Neck W/ Contrast | Prep: Clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam | ||
| 652 | CT Neck W/O Contrast | No Prep | ||
| 650 | CT Neck W/WO Contrast | Prep: Clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam | ||
| 622 | CT Orbits W/ Contrast | Eyes | Prep: Clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam | |
| 623 | CT Orbits W/O Contrast | Eyes | No Prep | |
| 621 | CT Orbits W/WO Contrast | Eyes | Prep: Clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam | |
| ??? | CT Pituitary W/ Contrast eRAD only shows W/O Contrast and W/WO Contrast | Call the Center and check with CT Tech before scheduling the appointment | ||
| 628 | CT Pelvic W/ Contrast | Female organs, uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder | Prep: Barium and clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam If reason is due to bony pelvis, SI joints, sacrum, coccyx, or any bone anatomy in pelvic:
| |
| 629 | CT Pelvic W/O Contrast | Female organs, uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder | Prep: Barium If reason is due to bony pelvis, SI joints, sacrum, coccyx, or any bone anatomy in pelvis:
| |
| 627 | CT Pelvic W/WO Contrast | Female organs, uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder | Prep: Barium and clear liquids only for 4 hours before exam If reason is due to bony pelvis, SI joints, sacrum, coccyx, or any bone anatomy in pelvic:
| |
| 568 | CT Spine Cervical W/O Contrast | Neck | Saturday appointments offered at Sterling | No Prep |
| 617 | CT Spine Lumbar W/O Contrast | Back | Saturday appointments offered at Sterling | No Prep |
| 952 | CT Sinus Screen | No Prep | ||
| 647 | CT Sinus W/ Contrast | AKA: Maxillofacial | Saturday appointments offered at Sterling | No Prep |
| 648 | CT Sinus W/O Contrast (Full Series) | AKA: Maxillofacial | Saturday appointments offered at Sterling | No Prep |
| 646 | CT Sinus W/WO Contrast | AKA: Maxillofacial | Saturday appointments offered at Sterling | No Prep |
| ??? | CT Scanogram Only found Scanogram of lower extremity (382) | No Prep | ||
| 941 | CT Sinus/Stryker | |||
| ??? | CT Sinus/Brainlab Could not be found in eRAD | |||
| 940 | CT Sinus/Medtronics | |||
| 662 | CT Spine Thoracic W/O Contrast | Saturday appointments offered at Sterling | ||
685 | CT Thorax/Lung Scan | Saturday appointments offered at Sterling | ||
| 932 | CT Virtual Colonoscopy Diagnostic | Schedule with Dr. Steever or Dr. Chu ONLY Exam can ONLY be scheduled in the morning, BEFORE 9:30AM NOTE: Diagnostic reasons only | Medicare will NOT cover a Diagnostic VC unless there are two reasons for the exam. Exam cost is $800 Most insurance carriers require pre-authorization Prep: Please advise patient to pick up barium and instructions for exam at least 4 days prior to the appointment. At that time, a clinical team member will discuss the prep in full. | |
| 933 | CT Virtual Colonoscopy Screening | Schedule with Dr. Steever or Dr. Chu ONLY Exam can ONLY be scheduled in the morning, BEFORE 9:30AM NOTE: Cannot do screening colonoscopy plus another diagnosis (i.e., blood thinners, anticoagulants, twisted colon, blood in stool, etc.) | Exam cost is $800 Most insurance carriers require pre-authorization Prep: Please advise patient to pick up barium and instructions for exam at least 4 days prior to the appointment. At that time, a clinical team member will discuss the prep in full. |
EDITED: 06/12/2025
