Imaging and Clinical Applications Flashcards
4 things that should be done for all patients’ studies
- Verify patient identity (patient name matches on study)
- Verify date/time of study is correct
- Verify study type i.e. x-ray/CT/MRI is correct
- Get older study or record for comparison
Steps 1-3 = ALWAYS DO, Step 4 = Optional but ideal
What are the 4 types of radiological studies?
- Plain x-rays
- CT scans
- MRI
- Ultrasound
What is an orthogonal x-ray?
X-ray taken at 90 degrees
Commonly ordered X-ray views for:
Chest (3)
- PA or AP
- Lateral
- Portable
Commonly ordered X-ray views for:
UE (3)
- AP (frontal)
- Lateral
- Oblique (let’s you see things between AP & lateral)
Commonly ordered X-ray views for:
LE (3)
- AP (frontal)
- Lateral
- Oblique (let’s you see things between AP & lateral)
Commonly ordered X-ray views for:
Abdomen (4)
- Supine
- Upright
- Decubitus
- AAS
Commonly ordered X-ray views for:
Pelvis (3)
- AP (inlet/outlet)
- Lateral
- Frog-leg
Commonly ordered X-ray views for:
Facial B./Skull (4)
- Frontal
- Lateral
- Upright Water’s
- Nasal Views
Commonly ordered X-ray views for:
Cervical spine (5)
- AP
- Lateral
- Oblique
- Flexion/Extension
- Open-mouth
Commonly ordered X-ray views for:
Thoracic spine (3)
- AP
- Lateral
- Oblique
Commonly ordered X-ray views for:
Lumbar spine (3)
- AP
- Lateral
- Oblique
Commonly ordered X-ray views for:
Sacral spine (1)
- AP (inlet/outlet) same as pelvis
- Caveat: low sensitivity
Ideal imaging modality for sacral spine
CT
Ideal imaging modality for neurologic injuries
MRI
Order the following from least dense to most dense:
- Soft-tissue
- Bone
- Air
- Metal
- Fat
- Air
- Fat
- Soft-tissue
- Bone
- Metal
Match structure to expected appearance on plain films:
Air, fat, soft-tissue, bone, metal
- Very bright (very white)
- Dark (black, radioluscent)
- Bright (white)
- Less dark, but still dark
- Medium (gray)
- Air = dark
- Fat = less dark, but still dark
- Soft-tissue = medium (gray)
- Bone = bright
- Metal = very bright
Distinguish between a PA and AP view
- where is beam traveling from?
- where is film that beam is traveling to and hitting?
- PA view
- beam traveling from back (P) and hitting film in front (A)
- AP view
- beam traveling from front (A) and hitting film back (P)
PA or AP view, which is preferred in majority of chest cases?
Why?
Under what circumstances is the other usually ordered?
- PA view
- AP view can give enlarged view of heart & vessels leading to false cardiomegaly dx
- AP view usually ordered when unable to position patient erect as needed for PA
Fractures are easily identified on plain films by looking for ______ (outer portion of B.) disruptions
Cortical disruptions
Fluid is ______ dense than air and therefore appears _____
more dense than air and therefore appears medium gray to bright white
Calcifiied structures that appear dense and bright on abdominal x-rays?
kidney stones
4 patterns of plain film misdiagnosis?
- Nml ____ & _____
- _____ recognition failure
- Associated _____
- Suboptimal _____ & number of ______
- Nml anatomy & variants
- Pattern recognition failure
- Associated pathology
- Suboptimal positioning & number of projections (only visible on certain view, all other views nml)
- Presence of what structure visualized on an x-ray can indicate the patient is a child?
- What does it look like?
- Growth plate
- Smooth, radioluscent line