Chest X-Rays Flashcards
What colour is air?
black
What colour is fat?
dark grey
What colour is soft tissue e.g. muscles and organs?
light grey
What colour is bone?
white
Why are AP x-rays inferior to PAs?
- heart shadow is magnified, so heart size cannot be assessed accurately
- scapulae overlie and partly obscure lungs
- it can be difficult for patients to inspire adequately
Why are hila (junction between heart and lungs) significant in chest X rays?
- common place for bronchial carcinoma
- contain lymph nodes which may be enlarged
Which lobe of the diaphragm should appear higher and by how much?
right, by 1.5cm
What colour should retrosternal and retrocardiac space be on a CXR?
dark/black
How many ribs should be seen?
10 or 11
How can you tell if an X ray is AP or PA?
Heart size is enlarged in AP
How big should the heart be in a PA chest X ray?
around 50% or less
When might the diaphragm appear flattened on an CXR?
in COPD or asthma
In a pleural effusion, what will happen to the costophrenic angles?
bluntness
Which hilum, left or right, is higher?
left
What might widening of the mediastinum indicate?
aortic dissection
What might tracheal deviation indicate?
Tension pneumothorax or a mass
What are the hila the junction between?
heart and lungs
When does lobular collapse occur?
when there is an obstruction of a lobar bronchus
What are the hila a common place for?
bronchial carcinomas
enlarged lymph nodes
Where do pneumothoraxes commonly occur?
at apex of lung
What are signs of pleural effusion on CXRs?
basal density effusion
obscured diaphragm
meniscus signs
fluid tracking into right oblique fissure
What are signs of cardiac failure on CXR?
englarged heart pleural effusion pulmonary oedema bats wings curly B lines
