Rad TG Flashcards
What are the five types of different imaging modalities?
- X-Ray
- Computed Tomography
- Magnetic Resonance
- Ultrasound
- Nuclear Medicine
What Imaging uses a single pulse of ionizing radiation, is good for bones and airspaces, bad for soft tissue and overlapping structures, and is white to start with?
X-Ray
How does brightness correlate in the X-Ray?
Dense material blocks the radiation and the film brightens. Less dense material blocks fewer rays and the film darkens.
What are the five different radiographic densities?
Air (darkest) Fat (Less dark) Fluid/Blood/Soft Tissue (gray) Bone (White) Metal/Contrast (Most White)
X-Rays are a two dimensional representation of a three-dimensional object meaning that they can ________?
Hide underlying structures depending on the viewpoint making it important to obtain more than one view.
What is the Anteroposterior (front to back) view used for?
If patient is unable to stand or sit for a PA view, lower quality than a PA view, back is placed next to film, heart is magnified and borders are fuzzier.
What is the lateral (side view) used for?
Usually taken in conjunction with a PA view, allows viewing of structures behind the heart (mediastinum) and provides three dimensional image.
What is the Oblique view used for?
Mostly on limbs.
What is the posteroanterior (back to front) used for?
Object that is closer to the film has sharper borders, chest is placed closer so most important structures are closer to film, and heart size is minimally magnified and the borders are sharp.
What method of imaging is similar to X-ray, emits radiation, and shows color in black, white, and gray depending on density?
Computed Tomography
What is Computed Tomography good for?
Bone, airspaces, some soft tissue and overlapping structures.
What is CT bad for?
Some soft tissues (nerves, muscles, connective tissue), patients with retained metallic objects (causes artifacts).
What produces the “slice” of a patient?
X-ray tube of the CT spinning rapidly around the patient.
What views are used in CT Scans?
Sagittal or Median
Coronal
Axial or Transverse or Cross-Sectional
Which imaging type uses electromagnetism and radio frequency properties?
Magnetic Resonance Overview.
What is MRI good for?
Soft tissue (nerves, muscles, connective tissue, brain, joints). In addition, there is no exposure to ionizing radiation.
What is MRI bad for?
People who cannot hold still or have ferrous metal in the body. MR views are identical to CT. It is time consuming.
How does ultrasound work?
Uses sound waves similar to SONAR.
What is Ultrasound good for?
Determining fluid vs solids, abdominopelvic imaging, and assessing blood flow. In addition, it is rapid and portable and doesn’t produce radiation.
What is ultrasound bad for?
Things under bones and air filled chambers, deep things.
What are the Ultrasound views?
Longitudinal (sagittal)
Transverse (axial)
What type of imaging requires a radioactive agent to be given intravenously?
Nuclear Medicine
How does Nuclear Medicine work?
The intravenous agent participates in physiologic processes while emitting radiation, the radiation is detected and is used to create an image showing the distribution of the agent with in the body.
What is a typical use of Nuclear Medicine?
Detecting stress fractures before being visible on x-ray.
What is nuclear medicine good for?
Detecting normal or abnormal physiologic processes.
What is nuclear medicine bad for?
Showing less anatomic detail.
Upon pre-read what must you do before anything else?
Confirm patient, date, body part, type, number of views, and check to see if any comparison films exist.
How do you assess technical adequacy?
Utilizing the RIP technique. Rotation, inspiration, and penetration.
What should you be looking for during the rotation portion?
Clavicles relative to the vertebral column and equally spaced. If not properly aligned, it may mean abnormal.
What should you be looking for during inspiration?
Look at the ribs. Should be able to count 9-10 ribs with the posterior ribs being easier to see.
What are you doing during the penetration phase?
Should be able to see the ribs through the heart, should barely see the spine through the heart, should see pulmonary vessel near the edges of the lungs.
What might you see on over-penetrated film?
Lung fields almost completely black and may suggest pneumothorax.
What might an under-penetrated film suggest?
Soft tissue structures are obstructed with images appearing bright suggesting consolidation like pneumonia.
What are the steps when reading a chest x-ray?
Do the pre read, Assess technical adequacy using RIP, and conduct a systematic method (ABCDE).