Physiotherapy chest x-rays
Questions
The following questions should re-cap your knowledge from the lecture on chest x-rays. Read the questions, think about what your answer would be, and then click on the View Answer button to check your answer.
What basic information should you check before looking at any chest x-ray?
Check you are looking at the correct patient – name, DOB, date the x-ray was taken, exposure of the film, position of the patient.
How do you determine how well exposed the x-ray is?
You should be able to see spinous processes to carina (T5) and intervertabral disc spaces down to the level of the diaphragm.
What does it mean if the x-ray appears too white?
The film is under exposed.
What does it mean if the x-ray appears too black?
The film is over exposed.
How can you determine if a patients chest is rotated on the x-ray film?
Look at the distance between the medial ends of the clavicles and the spinous processes. The distance should be equal left and right, if not the patient is rotated towards the side with the largest distance.
What are the main differences between an anterior-posterior (AP) film and a posterior-anterior (PA) film?
The heart may look larger in an AP x-ray. In an AP x-ray you can also see the medial boarders of the scapular where as in an x-ray taken from behind the patient (PA film) the medial boarders of the scapula move out of the vision of the lungs fields as the patient stands with their arms out to the side.
