Diagnostic Imaging
The Diagnostic Imaging Department is located to the right of the Emergency waiting room. It provides a range of exams including:
X-ray
Ultrasound
ECGs
Holter Monitoring
Pacemaker Checks
A requisition and an appointment is required for all exam types, which is usually arranged by your doctor's office. If you have been asked to book the appointment yourself please call the New Centralized booking
number at 613-253-3803 (Fax: 613-256-8637) to arrange the appointment. The booking department hours are 8 AM to 4 PM Monday to Friday. When you arrive please report to the Registration desk at the Emergency entrance. Have your OHIP card ready (or other provincial health card). If you are unable to keep your appointment please notify the Diagnostic Imaging Department as soon as possible. After hours the Radiology Department is staffed through an on-call basis by the Emergency Department. For exact hours of operation, please call extension 2114.
X-Ray Services
The Almonte General Hospital X-ray area has been expanded to accommodate new equipment, a waiting area and change rooms. The X-ray area also includes new digital X-ray equipment and a Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS). PACS-the latest technology for the storage, retrieval, distribution and presentation of radiology images, produces an electronic image that can be read by radiologists at the Ottawa Hospital and elsewhere.
Unless you are sent from the Emergency Department, you must have an appointment.
When you arrive, please report to the Hospital Admission Office in the Almonte General Hospital lobby. Be prepared to present your Health Card.
If you are unable to keep your appointment, notify the X-ray department as soon as possible.
How Do I Prepare for an X-ray?
Wear clothing that is easy to remove. Do not wear jewellery. Please report to the Admitting Department to register 10 to 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time.
Ultrasound
What is an Ultrasound?
During an ultrasound procedure, equipment sends sound - at a frequency that cannot be heard by the human ear - into specific parts of the body. The sound reflects back at different frequencies, which are analyzed by a computer and turned into an image of the part of the body being examined.
Ultrasound tests are usually carried out as part of obstetrical, gynecological and abdominal examinations or as examinations of small body parts, such as the breast or thyroid gland. The Hospital’s Registered Ultrasonographer can also perform ultrasounds of the carotid and vertebral arteries.
After an ultrasound test, the ultrasonographer views the image, marks areas that may indicate potential abnormalities, and sends it to a radiologist, who reads it and make a diagnosis.
If You Need an Ultrasound
Unless you are sent from the Emergency Department, you must have an appointment.
An ultrasound is a test that uses sound waves, not X-rays. For the test you will be asked to lie down on a bed while a transducer (which looks like a small microphone) is passed over the area of your body being examined, using a gel which will feel cool but does not cause discomfort.
Preparing for an Abdominal Examination (liver, aorta, pancreas, spleen, gallbladder, kidneys)
Do not eat or drink after midnight the night before your examination. Do not smoke or chew gum. If you need to take medication, take it with a small amount of water. If you are an insulin-dependent diabetic and are asked to miss breakfast, take half your normal dose of insulin. If you have to miss any other meal, contact your doctor for further instructions.
Preparing for an Abdominal and Pelvic Examination
Do not eat. Finish drinking 40 oz./ 1 litre of water one hour before your appointment time. Do not empty your bladder after drinking the water until after your test. If your bladder becomes too uncomfortable, you may pass a small amount of urine to relieve the pressure. If your bladder is not full at the time of your test you may have to reschedule.
If you need to take medication, take it with a small amount of water. If you are an insulin-dependent diabetic and are asked to miss breakfast, take half your normal dose of insulin. If you have to miss any other meal, contact your doctor for further instructions.
Preparing for an Obstetric or Pelvic Examination
This test can only be done if the bladder if full. Eat normally. Finish drinking 40 oz./ 1 litre of water one hour before your appointment time. Do not empty your bladder after drinking the water until after your test. If your bladder becomes too uncomfortable, you may pass a small amount of urine to relieve the pressure. If your bladder is not full at the time of your test you may have to reschedule.
Expectant mothers who undergo an ultrasound can purchase a still image of an ultrasound of their baby for a $10 fee.
All Other Ultrasound Tests
There are no restrictions on food or drink.
After the Test
Return to your normal diet and (if applicable) insulin routine.
Pacemakers
If you have a pacemaker that needs to be checked, the University of Ottawa Heart Institute will arrange your appointment at the Almonte General Hospital. Upon arrival for your appointment, you must first register at the Emergency Room Registration Desk. Once you are registered you will go to the Diagnostic Imaging Department where a technologist will perform the pacemaker check through a dedicated line with the Heart Institute. If your pacemaker has any malfunctions, the Health Institute will be in touch with you for a follow up appointment with them.
Electrocardiogram (ECG)
For an ECG you will be asked to change into a hospital gown then you will lie down and electrodes will be attached to your chest arms and legs. Let the technologist know if you have any allergies to adhesive tape. A standard ECG will take a few minutes, breathe normally and lie still. The electrodes will record the impulses that make your heart beat and will be recorded by a computer and displayed as waves on a monitor. The ECG will be transmitted to the Ottawa Hospital where it will be analyzed by a Cardiologist and the final report will be sent to the ordering doctor.
Holter Monitors
A Holter Monitor is a small wearable device that records a continuous ECG (24 or 48 hours). Inform the technologist if you have any allergies to adhesive tape. You will be asked to change into a hospital gown. The technologist will place electrodes on your chest and wires from the electrodes will go to a battery operated recording device carried in your pocket or worn on your belt. While wearing you can go about normal activities as long as you keep it dry. You will be required to return to the Diagnostic Imaging Department 24 or 48 hours later to have the electrodes removed. You will be asked to keep a log of what you are doing when symptoms occur. A Cardiologist at the Ottawa hospital will compare your log to the electrical recordings to diagnose the cause of your symptoms. The final report will be sent to the ordering doctor.