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Diagnostic Services
 When it comes to your health, we understand that you want answers right away. That's why our diagnostic services staff works efficiently to get test results to your physician as soon as possible. What's more, you can rest assured that we work with some of the most advanced diagnostic equipment available. Conveniently located on the first floor, the diagnostic services staff provides your outpatient testing in a comfortable environment.
What is the Patient Service Center?
The Patient Service Center brings outpatient services to the patient instead of making the patient go to several different locations for outpatient services. Patient convenience is the key. A specially trained patient representative will assist you with registration, as well as answer questions and guide you through the rest of your hospital visit.
Services include:
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Registration for inpatient and outpatient services
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Laboratory services including drawing blood for tests and collecting urine samples
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Outpatient EKGs
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Cashier to accept payment on bills or payment for classes or services offered
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Pre-registration for select services such as obstetrics, surgery and ambulatory surgery
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Patient relations to answer questions and concerns patients, visitors and family members may have about hospital and physician services
The Patient Service Center is located on the first floor of the hospital next to the Radiology Department. For further information about Pekin Hospital's Patient Service Center, please call (309) 353-0410.
All I need is to have my blood drawn - is there a way to get it done quickly?
Yes. Call (309) 353-0410 to schedule an appointment and pre-register over the phone. Having pre-registered, you will be able to arrive at the exact time of your appointment (as opposed to arriving early). You may also park at the Park Avenue entrance in the 10-minute parking spaces, because you won't be inside long. These appointments are specifically scheduled to prevent backlogs.
How do I get my test results?
All test results are reported to your physician. Please contact your physician for results.
We offer the following radiology services:
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X-ray
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Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
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Ultrasound Angiography
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Computed Tomography (CT)
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Nuclear Medicine
What are X-rays used for?
X-ray examinations provide valuable information about your health and play an important role in helping your doctor make an accurate diagnosis. X-rays produce images of internal structures on film, TV or a computer monitor. When used with care, X-rays are safe. Plain radiography (X-rays) is performed for broken bones, barium studies looking for obstructions and pneumonia.
How does an MRI provide images?
MRI uses radio waves and a strong magnetic field rather than X-rays to provide clear and detailed pictures of internal organs and tissues. Pekin Hospital provides MRI services at 1300 Park Avenue, located across the street from our hospital.
How should I prepare for an MRI?
Because the strong magnetic field used for MRI will pull on any ferromagnetic metal object implanted in the body, we will ask whether you have a prosthetic hip, an aneurysm clip in the brain, heart pacemaker (or artificial heart valve), implanted port (brand names Port-o-cath, Infusaport, Lifeport), intrauterine device (IUD), or any metal plates, pins, screws or surgical staples in your body. In most cases, surgical staples, plates, pins and screws pose no risk during MRI if they have been in place for more than four to six weeks.
Tooth fillings usually are not affected by the magnetic field, but they may distort images of the facial area or brain, so the radiologist should be aware of them. The same is true of braces, which may make it hard to "tune" the MRI unit to your body. You will be asked to remove anything that might degrade MR images of the head, including hairpins, jewelry, eyeglasses, hearing aids and any removable dental work.
The radiologist or technologist may ask if you have any drug allergies and whether you have undergone any surgery in the past. If you are or might be pregnant, mention it to the radiologist or technologist. MRI is generally avoided in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
What will I experience during MRI?
Some patients who undergo MRI in an enclosed unit may feel confined or claustrophobic, though the more open construction of newer MRI systems has done much to reduce that reaction. If you are not easily reassured, a sedative may be administered. Roughly one in 20 patients requires medication.
What is ultrasound?
Ultrasound Scanning, or Sonography, is a method of obtaining images from inside the human body through the use of high-frequency sound waves. The sound waves are recorded and displayed as real-time images. No ionizing radiation is involved using ultrasound.
Common uses of this procedure include:
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Guide procedures such as needle biopsies and aspirations, in which a needle is used to sample tissue for laboratory testing
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Abdomen
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Obstetrical
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Doppler Ultrasound to study major blood vessels for clots or plaque
What is an angiogram?
An angiogram is an X-ray procedure that visualizes arteries. Blockages or narrowing of blood vessels can affect any organ within the body. When an angiogram pinpoints such a problem, your physician can choose the most appropriate method of treatment.
Your angiogram may be performed by a radiologist or a cardiologist. This depends upon the area of the body to be examined. For example, the radiologist would examine arteries of the legs, kidneys, and brain. The cardiologist would examine the arteries of the heart.
At Pekin Hospital, all angiography is performed in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory (CCL). Our team of nurses and radiologic technologists are Advanced Cardiac Life Support certified, and state-of-the-art digital imaging is utilized for all procedures.
Procedures
performed within the CCL include:
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Coronary angiography
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Emergent temporary pacemaker insertion
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Permanent pacemaker insertion
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Carotid/cerebral angiography
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Lower and upper extremity angiography
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Renal and visceral angiography
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PICC line insertion
What is nuclear medicine?
Nuclear medicine is the use of radioactive materials to help diagnose and treat a wide variety of diseases and disorders. Nuclear medicine tests give a picture of how certain organs function and help us diagnose and determine the extent of certain diseases.
In nuclear medicine, a radioactive compound travels through the patient's body, giving off gamma rays or invisible radiation. Special equipment detects the rays and records them to create images of a specific body part under investigation. A nuclear medicine physician interprets the results. Non-imaging studies involve testing a patient's urine or blood after taking the radioactive compound.
Nuclear medicine involves six widely used tests, including brain scans, thyroid uptakes and scans, lung scans, cardiac imaging, liver and gallbladder imaging and bone scans. The exposure to radiation during nuclear medicine tests is low, and tests are carefully controlled. For more information, call the Nuclear Medicine Department at (309) 353-0896.
Exactly what is a CT Scan?
"CT" stands for computed tomography, an X-ray technique that allows doctors to study cross-sectional views of the head and body through an X-ray scanning device linked to a computer.
How advanced is Pekin Hospital's CT Scanner?
Pekin Hospital has the latest in CT scanners, which means more effective and convenient local diagnostic services that help save lives. Our state-of-the-art LightSpeed CT imaging system from GE Medical Systems is so fast, it can capture clear images of your heart between beats! With LightSpeed, doctors get clearer, more detailed images to make a more accurate diagnosis.
The multi-slice helical scanning technology of our LightSpeed CT imaging system produces exceptionally clear images in amazingly short scan times. With gantry rotation speeds as fast as a half second, and variable scan speeds adjustable in .1-second increments, our LightSpeed CT imaging system offers remarkable clinical flexibility. The result: unprecedented clarity of anatomy and vasculature - and greater diagnostic confidence on every CT exam.
LightSpeed is a real comfort for patients, too. Its exceptional speed means you don't have to hold your breath as long as with other CT systems - making every exam quicker, easier and more productive.
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