How do I get hold of some surface skin markers for CT guided procedures?
With difficulty. These tend to be not commercially available. You can make one simply and quickly yourself. Get a angiography catheter (out of date one will do). Cut the straight component into a series of strips of about 20 cm long - usually about 6 is sufficient. Then tap them together at either end 1cm apart to create a set of markers. This enables accurate planning and marking up on the patients skin before commencing the procedure.
What about instructions for patient prior to the procedure?
It is worth while taking the time to explain in full during the consent process in order to have a cooperative patient. Keeping still is vital - otherwise the originally chosen position is lost and one must start all over again. For CT guided lung biopsies steady breathing (best to remove the breath hold instruction on the CT scanner) is essential.
Biateral para-aortic lymphadenopathy - the skin surface markers are present to aid planning for biopsy.