Outpatient Diagnostics

At Ochsner, our outpatient diagnostics team helps screen for and detect disease. Our outpatient imaging services also help with some treatments. From infancy to the golden years, we meet your diagnostic needs, close to home.

There are countless reasons you and your loved ones may benefit from our outpatient diagnostic services. A few of the most common conditions outpatient diagnostics help with include the following:

• Abdominal pain

• Anemia

• Arthritis

• Broken bones

• Chronic diarrhea

• Lung cancer screenings

• Other cancer diagnosis

• Treatment monitoring

Ochsner’s outpatient diagnostic centers are home to a variety of medical imaging services and an expert team of radiologists and radiology technologists. Depending on your symptoms and medical history, your team may use one or more imaging exams to better examine the inner workings of your body. Outpatient diagnostics imaging exams offered include:

• Computed tomography (CT). A series of X-rays images are combined to create a three-dimensional image of the inside of your body. This scan helps diagnose tumors, joint problems and other conditions.

• DEXA scan. X-ray technology helps determine the amount of calcium and other minerals in your bones. Your care team can use this information to diagnose osteoporosis and osteopenia, so you can take steps to protect your bones.

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI produces images with the help of strong magnets and radio frequencies. It is the ideal tool to detect issues with muscles and tendons, the brain and other soft tissues.

• Mammogram. Annual mammograms detect breast cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages. If a screening mammogram finds a suspicious area, an outpatient diagnostic mammogram follows. A biopsy is then required for definitive diagnosis.

• Nuclear imaging and positron emission tomography (PET). Nuclear imaging helps visualize blood flow and the movement of organs, such as the heart or kidneys. Before your exam, a radioactive material is injected into the area your healthcare provider needs to examine. The PET scan then creates 3D images of your insides, highlighting areas where the radioactive material gathers.

• Ultrasound. As the name suggests, ultrasound uses sound waves to produce images. In addition to showing babies in utero, ultrasound can help diagnose various issues affecting blood vessels, organs and other soft tissue.

• X-ray. During X-rays, electromagnetic radiation passes through the body to create pictures of bones, blood vessels and other internal structures. Cancer, pneumonia, traumatic injuries and other conditions are all diagnosed with X-rays.

Laboratory testing rounds out Ochsner’s outpatient diagnostics in some locations. Staffed by our caring team of laboratory technicians and medical assistants, our laboratory services provide additional information about your health condition quickly.

Inside the laboratory, we perform urine and blood tests. Clinicians use these tests to monitor chronic conditions, such as high cholesterol or high blood sugar. They can also rely on the tests to detect diabetes, kidney disease and urinary tract infections.