Chapter 2: Recognizing a Technically Adequate Chest Radiograph

Question 1

What are the five technical factors to determine if a CXR is adequate?

Answer 1

Penetration
Inspiration
Rotation
Magnification
Angulation

Question 2

What should you see if penetration is adequate?

Answer 2

the spine through the heart

Question 3

What should you see if inspiration is adequate?

Answer 3

at least eight to nine posterior ribs

Question 4

What should you see if rotation is adequate?

Answer 4

spinous process should fall equidistant between the medial ends of the clavicles

Question 5

What should you see if magnification is adequate?

Answer 5

AP films (mostly portable chest xrays) magnify the heart slightly

Question 6

What should you see if angulation is adequate?

Answer 6

clavicle normally has an S shape, and medial end superimposes onto the 3rd and 4th rib

Question 7

How do you differentiate posterior ribs?

Answer 7

They are immediately more apparent to the eye on frontal CXRs

They are oriented more or less horizontally

Each pair attaches to a thoracic vertebral body

Question 8

How do you differentiate anterior ribs?

Answer 8

They are visible, but more difficult to see, on the frontal chest radiograph

They are oriented downward toward the feet

They attach to the sternum or to each other with cartilage that usually is not visible until later in life, when the cartilage may calcify

Question 9

On what view will the heart appear larger

Answer 9

the AP view

Question 10

What is an apical lordotic view of the chest?

Answer 10

the xray beam may enter the thorax with the patient’s head and thorax tilted backward; anterior structures are projected higher than posterior structures