CXR Flashcards
What is an AP CXR?
Anterior-posterior
- Looking from the front
What is a PA CXR?
Posterior-anterior
- Looking from the back
What do you look at first?
Image quality
RIP
- Rotation
Spinous processes should be in the middle of the clavicles - Inspiration
Ribs 5-7 should be visible anteriorly - Penetration
Is the spine visible behind the heart?
What is the ABCDE approach to a CXR?
A = airways B = bones C = circulation D = diaphragm E = extra features / review areas
What should you look for in A of the ABCDE approach?
Trachea
- Is it centrally positioned?
Lungs
- Are the lung zones there?
- Are they symmetrical?
- Is the colour correct
- Check for lung marking that go all the way to the chest wall (grey streaks)
What are the lung zones on a CXR?
Upper, middle and lower zones
Do not correlate with the anatomical lung lobes
What should you look for in C of the ABCDE approach?
Heart and mediastinum
- Heart should occupy >50% of the thorax in a PA film
- Left and right boarders of heart should be well defined
What is likely is the heart is >50% on a PA film?
Cardiomegaly (Heart enlargement)
What is likely if one of the boarders of the heart is not well defined?
Lung collapsed
What should you look for in B of the ABCDE approach?
Ribs, clavicles, humerus and spine
- Fractures
- Metastatic deposits
- Arthritis
- Dislocation
What should you look for in D of the ABCDE approach?
Diaphragm
- A dome with a sharp white edge against the adjacent black line
- Right hemidiaphragm is higher than the left by 1-3cm
- Costophrenic angle = diaphragm meets ribs laterally
- Cardiophrenic angle = heart meets diaphragm
What should you look for in E of the ABCDE approach?
- Look for medical intervention
Tubes
- Review:
Lung apices
Hilum regions
Heart
Soft tissues
DiaphragmWhat is a white object on a CXR?
Dense object (e.g. bone)
What is a grey object on a CXR?
Fluid or tissue
What is a black object on a CXR?
Air
