Midterm I Flashcards
Name the body planes and what they divide.
Midsagittal plane divides left & right.
Midcoronal plane divides anterior & posterior Horizontal (transverse) plane divides superior & inferior
Define the terms position, projection and view.
Position = side of body nearest film; should be marked as such (ie RAO) Projection = path of the xray beam AP/PA/oblique View = side of anatomy best visualized, usually side nearest film.
Which body substance has the least subject density? The greatest? How
would they appear radiographically?
Air – least attenuation – looks dark
Bone – very attenuated – looks lighter
Metal – greatest attenuation looks white
What is attenuation?
Attenuation = a quantity that characterizes how easily a material or medium can be penetrated by a beam of light, sound, particles, or other energy or matter
How does pathology affect attenuation?
Disease process may affect the way tissue attenuates xrays.
o Additive Condition Increased Attenuation (blastic)
o Destructive Condition Decreased Attenuation (lytic)
o Less attenuation= greater radiographic blackness; mAs controls it (milliamps X
seconds = mAs)
Which body substance attenuates most? Least?
Air – least attenuation radiolucent
▪ Muscle.water – moderate attenuation
▪ Bone – very attenuated
▪ Metal – greatest attenuation radiopaque
What is radiographic density? What what xray factor controls it?
Radiographic Density = radiographic blackness = amount of blackness on film. mAs controls it (milliamps X seconds = mAs)
When you double or halve mA and leave everything else as is, what happens to your film? What happens to your patient?
mAs (mA x sec is primary controller of quantity of xray, radiographic blackness and is directly related to patient exposure.
o Doubling mAs doubles Radiographic Blackness and patient exposure.
When you double or halve exposure time and leave everything else as is, what happens to your film? What happens to your patient?
Cutting mAs by half makes half the blackness and halves patient exposure
Which will give greater density, 100 mA @ 1 second or 200 mA @ 1⁄2 second? Which is more likely to have motion blur?
100mA@1/10s=10mAs 100mA@1/2s=50mAs 200mA@1/4s=50mAs 300mA@1/6s=50mAs 500 mA @ 1/10s =50mAs o Greater mAs = greater radiographic blacknes, less blur so 10 mAs has motion blur
What is the minimum change that can be made to mAs in order to see a visible change in radiographic density?
25-30% change in mAs necessary for visible change in blackness.
What xray factor is primarily responsible for controlling contrast?
Radiographic Contrast = variety of gray shades from darkest to lightest.
Controlled by kVp; controls penetration.
Higher kVp lowers dosage, decreased mAs.
What is generally meant by improving contrast?
Improve contrast = increase number of shades of gray
Grids can improve contrast by reducing radiation fog by absorbing scatter radiation as it
exits patient’s body.
What is beam restriction? What is scatter? Scatter is BAd
Scatter is dependent on kVp, amount and type of irradiated tissue (soft tissue scatters more than bone)
Beam restriction reduces scatter, improves image quality and greatly reduces patient exposure. Beam must always be restricted.
oAperature diaphragm, cones/cylinders, collimaters
What is the purpose of a radiographic grid? When should it be used? Where is the grid placed? What is the visible effect of using a grid?
Radiographic grid → absorb scatter radiation as it exits pts body.
Should be used with larger body parts, higher kVp
Placed b/n patient and film
Reduces radiation fog and improves contrast
What are two types of shape distortion?
How can shape distortions be minimized?
Elongation = occurs when tube or film improperly aligned
Foreshortening = occurs when body part is improperly aligned with film
What are the types of size distortion? How can they be minimized?
Size distortion occurs only in the form of magnification. Objects can’t be minified.
Magnification results from increased OID. Increased SID may compensate.
Are children more sensitive to radiation than adults? What are the most sensitive body cells to radiation? The least sensitive?
Age – young cells more sensitive
o Differentiation – simple cells more sensitive
o Mitotic rate – rapidly dividing more sensitive
o Metabolic rate – using energy rapidly, more sensitive
o Highest sensitivity cell: bone marrow, gonadal, eye lenses, GI
o Lowest sensitivity cells: muscle, nerve, chondrocyte
What is a ROENTGEN?
Roentgen (R) Symbolizes amount of ionization produced by a specific amount of radiation in air only.