X-Ray

On-site X-rays and CT scans at Peaks Medical and Urgent Care in Dillon, Colorado, allow your urgent care specialist to diagnose medical problems that aren’t detectable with just an external physical exam. If you experience an illness, injury, pain, or disease symptoms, schedule an appointment with Peaks Medical and Urgent Care to find out if you need X-rays. Call, walk into the Summit County office, or request a visit online today. We Accept outside orders! 

What are X-rays?

An X-ray is a fast, non-invasive diagnostic procedure that uses a special machine to produce images of the inside of your body. As X-rays pass through body tissues, dense tissue (such as bone) appears white, muscle and fat show up as gray, and air in the lungs appears black.

These images help your urgent care specialist diagnose specific medical problems and develop an effective treatment plan.

Peaks Medical and Urgent Care also offers CT scans. CT scans use a combination of X-rays and computers to produce images of a cross-section of your body. These images show your tissues and organs in greater detail than standard X-rays. 

During this procedure, you lie on a table that moves through a donut-shaped tube around you. 

Why might I need X-rays or a CT scan?

X-rays or a CT scan might be a good option if your medical provider suspects you have the following:

• Fractures
• Infections
• Osteoporosis
• Bone cancer
• Arthritis
• Lung problems
• An enlarged heart
• Breast cancer
• Blocked blood vessels
• Swallowed objects
• Digestive tract problems

To determine if you’re a good candidate for X-rays or a CT scan, your urgent care specialist reviews your personal and family medical history, discusses your symptoms, and completes a physical exam. They might recommend other diagnostic procedures in addition to X-rays or a CT scan.

What should I expect while undergoing X-rays?

Remove all jewelry before undergoing X-rays or a CT scan. Wear comfortable clothes or change into a gown. In some cases, just before getting X-rays, your provider gives you a liquid contrast medium to swallow — or offers the medium as an enema or injection.

During the procedure, a machine passes safe amounts of radiation through your body to produce images. You must remain still during your imaging procedure, but they are fast and painless. It might take just a few minutes to complete simple X-rays. X-rays requiring a contrast medium usually take longer. CT scans take roughly 20 minutes to complete. 

What happens after my imaging procedure?

After getting X-rays or a CT scan, there’s no downtime. You can get back to your normal activities right away. If you’ve received a contrast medium, drink a lot of water to flush the medium out of your body quickly. Imaging results are often available within minutes.

Your Peaks Medical and Urgent Care specialist then interprets the results, explains them to you, and lets you know which treatment, if any, is right for you.

The next time you experience pain, some new or usual symptom, or you’re at risk of a severe medical problem, schedule an appointment with Peaks Medical and Urgent Care. Call, walk into the office, or request an appointment online to see if on-site X-rays or CT scans are right for you.