NMTCB(CT) study guide
NMTCB(CT) · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The NMTCB(CT) is a post-primary credential offered by the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board, whose stated purpose is "creating and maintaining examinations for nuclear medicine technologists (NMTs)." In the NMTCB's own words, the organization "Has Developed a Post-Primary Computed Tomography (CT) Credential," and the CT examination is listed among its certification exams alongside the general nuclear medicine exam (CNMT), the NCT and PET specialty exams, and the Nuclear Medicine Advance Associate (NMAA) examination. Because it is a post-primary credential, it is designed for technologists who already hold a primary nuclear medicine certification and want to document CT competence - a combination that matters in hybrid SPECT/CT and PET/CT practice, where attenuation correction, localization, and diagnostic CT interpretation all depend on solid CT technique. The NMTCB(CT) study guide has 4 sections and about 1,085 words.
01Patient Care, Safety, and Radiopharmaceutical/Contrast Considerations
Confirm identity with two identifiers, review the order and clinical question, and screen for pregnancy, prior contrast reactions, asthma, renal disease, diabetes, and metformin use. Establish IV access appropriate for the planned injection rate; an 18–20 G antecubital IV is typical for CTA.
291 words, about 1 min02Radiation Protection and Dose Optimization
CT dose is described by CTDIvol (volume CT dose index, mGy) and DLP (dose-length product, mGy·cm). CTDIvol reflects scanner output for a given protocol, not the patient's actual absorbed dose; SSDE adjusts for patient size.
274 words, about 1 min03CT Imaging Procedures and Cross-Sectional Anatomy
Head, chest, abdomen/pelvis, CTA, and extremity protocols differ in slice thickness, pitch, kVp, and contrast timing. Bolus tracking or a test bolus ensures arterial opacification.
261 words, about 1 min04Image Production, Instrumentation, and Quality Assurance
A CT system includes the X-ray tube, detector array, slip rings, collimator, data acquisition system, and computer. Detector rows determine the number of simultaneous slices.
259 words, about 1 min