CXR Flashcards
What is the disadvantage of an AP CXR?
It makes the heart look larger
Approaching a CXR
- Patient details and projection
- AP vs PA
- Technical factors
- Rotation
- Inspiration
- Exposure/penetration
- Lines and metalwork
- ABCDE
- Airway
- Breathing
- Circulation
- Diaphragm
- Everything else
- Review areas
- Lung apices
- Costophrnic angels
- Behind the heart
- Behind and below the diaphragm
- Soft tissue and bone
How to assess rotation?
Spinous processes lie in the middle of the medial heads of the clavicles.
How to assess inspiration?
Adequate inspiration:
5-7 anterior ribs
10 posterior ribs
How to assess exposure?
Can see vertebrae and intervertebral disc space
Four steps to assessing NG tube position
- Midline
- Crosses the carina or left main bronchus
- Tip lies below the left hemi diaphragm
- Tip lies 10cm distal to the GOJ
Endotracheal tube correct position
5 +/- 2cm above carina
Loss of lung volume features
- Opacity
- Tracheal shift towards side of lung volume loss
- Hemidiaphragm shift
Features which you would see in lung collapse and not in consolidation:
- Well demarcated
- Dense
- Homogenous
- No air bronchograms
Causes of lobar collapse
- Luminal
- Foreign body
- Mucouus plugging
- Malignancy
- Mural
- Malignancy
- Extrinsic
- Malignancy
Causes of loss of lung volume
- Collapse
- Pneumonectomy/lobectomy
How to recognise cardiomegaly
>0.5 thoracic width

Normal

Correctly placed NG tube

Incorrectly placed NG tube

Unilateral pleural effusion

Right pneumonectomy (there are clips)
Without clips it would be right lung collapse

Right lower lobe collapse

Cardiomegaly

Heart failure
Alveolar oedema
Cardiomegaly (although AP so can’t assess properly)
Dilated upper lobe vessels
Pleuarl effusion

Left sided pneumothorax

Pneumoperitoneum

Heart failure
Alveolar oedema
Kerley B lines
Cardiomegaly
Dilated upper lobe vessels

Right lower lobectomy

Bilateral pleural effusion

Right upper lobe consolidation

Right lower lobe consolidation

Normal

ET tube correctly placed

Tension pneumothorax