Diagnostic Processes Flashcards
Before looking at an imaging study, what should you confirm?
- Right Patient
- Right Study
- Right day (make sure it’s not an old image)
A patient presents with hypotension, tachycardia, and is AOx1. When should you order an imaging study?
After you have stabilized the patient.
Pearl: Don’t delay treatment in unstable patients
Plain Film XR indications
Wide variety of problems it can be helpful in diagnosing
Inexpensive
Accessable
Great for bone pathology
List in order from least dense to most dense on an XR: Bone, Soft tissue, Metal, Fat , Air
- Air (black)
- Fat
- Soft-tissue
- Bone
- Metal
What is Summation Shadowing?
When dense structures stack on an XR, the area appears more opaque
When ordering a CXR, what views should be obtained?
2 perpendicular views if possible depending on what structures you’re looking for.
Indications for an Abd XR
- Obstruction
- Perforation
- NG tube placement
- Trauma
- Stones
When getting an Abd XR series for a patient complaining of abdominal pain, you see a distended descending colon filled with air. What is a differential?
Proximal Obstruction (Small bowel or Ascending/Transverse Colon)
How many views should you order for any XR?
At least 2.
Pearl: One view is no view
In pediatric patients with extremity complaints, should you get studies on the contralateral extremity?
Yes, in peds patients get a comparison study. Maybe they’re just fucked up naturally
What unit is used to measure CT?
Hounsfield Unit
Water= 0
Less Dense= neg value= dark
More dense= pos value= light
What is the CT Window?
Set/changed by the radiologist to give the best view of the structures in question.
Ex: You want to look at the skull, you will set the CT window to view in positive values to get a better image of the bone
Test of Choice for Abdominal Pathology
CT scan
In a T2 weighted MRI, what is the appearance of water?
Water=White
“2 W’s in a T2 image”
