Field Trip to Apollo Hospitals

On the 13^th of March all the biology students of 11^th IB went on a field trip to Apollo Hospital in Hyderabad. We went to see how MRI and CT scan work and what they are used to diagnose. This was in relation to our topic Neurobiology and Behavior, which we are studying in school.

On reaching the venue, we were given a brief introduction to the scans by a head doctor. We had a very interactive session and could get most of our queries answered.

We then formed two groups and first went to see how the MRI scans function. We were first shown the machine of the scan, which included a large circular shape, which was the magnet that produces the high radiation and magnetic field for the magnetic resonance. We had to abstain from stepping inside the room as the strong magnetic field and radiation may be harmful. A patient was then taken for the scan to get an image of the hip region to search for any abnormalities. She first lay down on the patient table and then a coil was wrapped around the region to be examined i.e. the hip to get a better image. The table then moved into the magnetic scan and after a few minutes the images appeared on the computer screen in the adjoining room. The images could be manipulated and altered to the required size and proportion. We were then explained about the scan by one of the head doctors. He told us that the magnetic resonance imaging was beneficial in diagnosing various diseases at an early stage. It gave a clear image of many parts of the body to examine. However, it is mainly used for the soft tissues, as the hard tissues would be difficult to reach. It is also used for the non-motion organs of the body as any movement can cause disruption of the image formation. This is also the reason why the patient needs to be extremely still while having the scan.Some patients suffering from claustrophobia may be anesthetized to ensure minimal movement. Also, no metal must be in or around the scanning machine, as it would attract it and cause disruption. When patients with a disability or metal implants or rods in the body need a scan, other imaging techniques are used to prevent harm or disruption.People with pacemakers, ear implants etc. are also not suitable to have an MRI scan. It also takes a long time to complete and is quite expensive.

Next we went to see how the CT scans function. We were first shown the machine and while it was similar to the MRI it had a less strong magnetic field but had high radiation. It had two detectors on the top to detect the part of the body and produce an image. However, the CT did not require a coil around the body. It is more suitable to view the hard tissues of the body. It can also produce images of tissues in motion such as the heart or peristalsis in the stomach. There were two types of images produced – normal and highly computed. We saw the scan of a woman’s abdomen. The normal scan just showed the organs like liver and kidney, and their position. The computed scan was more clear as it showed images of the organ with the blood vessels and also showed the abnormalities. The CT takes a shorter time to complete but is also quite expensive.

We were then given a handout about both the imaging techniques and also clarified any further questions we had. It was a learning experience and we gained a lot of knowledge.