Spiral CT of the abdomen: region coverage with a 24-second breath-hold.

A retrospective review of 75 spiral CT examinations of the abdomen was performed to assess: (1) patient's ability to sustain a 24-s breath-hold, and (2) the proportion of targeted regions or organs that were completely imaged at different table feed speeds. Seventy of 72 patients sustained a 24-s breath-hold without motion artifact. Region coverage depended on the prescribed table feed speed and length of exposure. With a fixed exposure time, there was a tradeoff between the volume of tissue that could be imaged and the slice colimation.