Diagnostic
Imaging
About our Department
Diagnostic Imaging at Listowel Wingham Hospitals Alliance offers diagnostic exams to service our patients . We are very fortunate that both communities have supported the purchase of high quality equipment for imaging purposes.
To schedule any examination, a physician referral is required with the exception of breast screening through the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP). OBSP participants must be 50-74 years of age; no previous breast cancers; no implants.
Appointment Info
Effective immediately, we are no longer booking patients exams over the phone if they have the requisition.
Please have your doctor fax their requisition, send via Ocean E referral, or take a picture of it and email it to lmimaging@lwha.ca and we will reach out to the patient and book their exam
A booked appointment is required for all examinations. CT requisitions must be faxed by the physician’s office.
Physicians, Please consider using Ocean E-Referral, it’s FREE!
Always arrive 15 minutes prior to your appointment time to allow for registration.
WINGHAM
Telephone: 519.357.3912
Fax: 519.357.3688
Hours of Outpatient Bookings:
Monday-Friday 8:00-4:00 pm
Listowel
Telephone: 519.292.2071
OBSP: 519.291.5490
Fax: 519.291.2813
Hours of Outpatient Bookings:
Monday-Friday 8:00-4:00 pm
Wayfinding: Enter through the Main Entrance at each site and follow the directions to Diagnostic Imaging. If you require assistance changing, or communicating, we ask that you bring a family member/companion with you. We do not provide childcare services.
Diagnostic Details
Preparing for the Test
General Xrays:
- No preparation (unless stated otherwise)
- Nothing to eat or drink after midnight
- Do not chew gum
- No Preparation
- Clear fluids only for 24 hours prior to your exam (apple juice, jello, popsicles, chicken or broth soup, clear tea or coffee). No solid food, milk or milk products
- Dulcolax 20 mg tablets at 2pm the day prior to exam
- Drink jug of bowel prep (Golytely) as directed, beginning at 4pm the day before the exam
- Nothing to eat or drink the morning of the exam until after the exam is completed. OR (alternative prep):
- Clear fluids for 48 hours prior to the exam
- Drink 1/2 bottle of Citromag evening of Day 1
- Dink 1/2 bottle of Citromag evening of Day 2
- Nothing to eat or drink morning of the exm
The Day of the Test
During the Test
After the Test
Generally, you may resume your usual activities and regular diet immediately.
The results of your x-ray should be to your referring physician within 5 business days. Your physician will discuss the test results with you. The technologists are not allowed to discuss imaging results with you.
LWHA Mammography Requisition – Click Here
Listowel Memorial Hospital is an accredited Mammography site.
The Listowel Memorial Hospital is a member of the Ontario Breast Screening Program and is considered an Assessment Site.
Preparing for the Test
Do not wear talc powder, deodorant or body spray on the day of the examination.
Please wear a two-piece outfit; i.e. tops and bottoms.
Please plan on 30-45 minutes on site for your examination. You will be asked to change into a hospital gown and remove all clothing and jewelry above the waist. Either our technologist or a volunteer will ask you a number of questions, including your medical history. A routine mammogram consists of 4 images. Additional images will be performed when necessary. Some patients, due to their history or breast density may have tomosynthesis exam performed which enables the radiologist to view their images in 3D.
During the Test
Your breasts will be positioned on a breast support platform. A plastic paddle compresses your breasts from above while x-ray images are taken.
There may be some discomfort for a few seconds during the compression; however compression is necessary to obtain the clearest possible picture with the least amount of radiation.
After the Test
Resume your usual activities after the test.
The technologist will send your images to the radiologist for review. If the Radiologist who reads your mammogram identifies any area in your breast (s) that require additional imaging such as more x-rays, breast ultrasound, or possibly a biopsy, our staff will call you with an appointment.
The results of your breast imaging should be available for your referring physician within five business days after your test. Your physician will discuss the test results with you. The technologist is not able to discuss any results.
As part of our Breast assessment program, we perform minimally-invasive image guided procedures to diagnose and treat diseases of the breast. These examinations will be performed usually under ultrasound guidance, but occasionally under mammographic guidance. If we feel that you require a more extensive workup, we will refer you to our Regional Breast program at St. Joseph’s Health Care in London.
We have a full breast team who consist of a radiologist, a surgeon and a referring physician as well as a technologist and nurse who meet on a regular basis to ensure that all interventional cases are followed up with a planned course of action as part of our assessment program.
Patient Information Sheets
WDH Echocardiography Requisition – Click Here
LMH Echocardiography Requisition – Click Here
Ultrasound, or Sonography, sends inaudible high-frequency sound waves through the body tissues using a hand-held device called a transducer. Echos bounce back from the internal structures within the body and are recorded as images. Ultrasound is used to create images of internal organs and soft tissue structures such as the kidney, liver, gallbladder and reproductive organs as well as tendons and muscles. It is also used to assess a fetus during pregnancy and to view the function of the heart. A special type of ultrasound, known as doppler, can detect blockages in the blood vessels.
Preparing for the Test
Most ultrasound examinations require certain preparations to obtain better images. It is important that you prepare correctly:
Pelvis or Obstetric:
- Do not skip breakfast or lunch
- FINISH drinking 4 large glasses (32 oz total) of clear fluids 1 HOUR before your appointment time
- DO NOT go to the washroom. Your bladder needs to be full for the examination
Upper Abdomen AND Pelvis:
- DO NOT eat for 8 hours
- Finish drinking 4 large glasses of WATER 1 hour before your appointment
- DO NOT go to the washroom. Your bladder needs to be full for the examination
Upper Abdomen (includes gallbladder, liver, pancreas, kidneys)
- DO NOT eat for 8 hours before your appointment
- Drink ONLY WATER if thirsty
- Do not chew gum or smoke
- Take your usual medications
Carotid, Thyroid, Scrotal, Breast, Shoulder or extremity, Venous Doppler, Arterial or, Echo
- No preparation for these exams
During the Test
Depending on the examination, the test will take approximately 30-90 minutes. You may be asked to change into a hospital gown before being taken into the ultrasound room. You will be asked to lie or sit on a table with the area to be examined exposed. A small amount of gel is put on your skin. The hand held transducer is placed against the skin and moved across the area. You may be asked to hold your breath or move into different positions during the procedure. When the exam is complete, you can wipe off any remaining gel.
The radiologist will review the images for any abnormalities or diseases. For pregnancy ultrasounds, we understand the wishes of both parents to be involved in the examination. This is a medical examination first, so the initial portion of the test will be done with only the patient and the technologist in the room. At the end of the exam, we will allow partners/family to come into the room for a view of the baby and its movements. There is no videotaping or recording allowed in the examination room. The sonographer is allowed to point out anatomy , but is not allowed to diagnose or give you a report. If gender is requested, it will be documented by the technologist if possible to determine. The results are given to you by the referring physician. Technologists do not relay gender results.
After the Test
Generally, you can resume your usual activities and regular diet immediately after the test. The results will be available to your referring physician within five business days. Your physician will discuss the test results with you.
Computed Tomography, commonly known as CT, uses x-rays and computers to produce cross-sectional images, like slices in a loaf of bread, of the bones, blood vessels and soft tissue inside your body. The scan can reveal details of internal organs that cannot be seen by conventional x-rays. Requests for CT examinations require that a radiologist review them before the examination is booked. The radiologist will decide if you need to have oral or intravenous contrast. For this reason, all requisitions must be faxed from the physician’s office. We will send an appointment date and time as well as the correct preparations to your physician, who will call you with this information
Preparing for the Test
Different tests require different preparations. It is important that patients follow the correct preparation instructions as they are provided by the physician’s office. If you have any questions prior to your examination date, you may call the Diagnostic Imaging department directly.
Generally, we require that you do not eat for 4 hours before your test. But we do encourage you to drink plenty of clear fluids. This will help your kidneys filter out the contrast dye often used to make your inner structures and organs easier to see.
You may require blood work (creatinine) prior to your scan to ensure that it is safe for you to receive contract injection.
on the day of the test
The test will take approximately 30 minutes to 2.5 hours including time to prepare, depending on the procedure.
A technologist will ask you a number of questions, including your medical history, current medications and any allergies you have.
Depending on the type of scan, you may be asked to drink a special and safe solution. This is a contrast agent that will help the radiologist see the body structures on the CT image. In other cases, you may need to have an IV started for the injection of a contrast agent.
You may be asked to change into a hospital gown and remove any jewelry.
During the Test
If you have an IV, the contrast agent will be injected into your veins. You may feel warm, feel like you have a metallic taste in your mouth or feel like you have to urinate. These are common reactions and will pass.
The technologist will help you lie in the correct position on the examining table. The table will then move through a large donut shaped scanning device. The tube rotates around you, taking many images of your body. It is very important that you lie as still as possible during the entire procedure and listen to the breathing instructions.
After the Test
If you have been injected with a contrast agent, you will be monitored for 10 minutes before the IV is removed and you are able to leave the hospital.
Generally, you can resume your usual activities and regular diet immediately after the test. We encourage you to drink plenty of fluids for 24 to 48 hours to help clear the contrast agent from your system.
The results of your CT scan will be available for your referring physician in about five business days. Your physician will discuss the test results with you.
Online Access to Imaging Records through PocketHealth
For Personal Access to your Imaging Records, please Enroll online at www.pocket.health/LWHA
If you are a Physician, External Hospital or Imaging Clinic wishing to learn more about an Access Page you received, click on the following link.
Provider-to-Provider Sharing Recipient FAQ Resources
