Radiology Flashcards
what are the ABC’S of radiographic evaluation?
Alignment
Bone density
Cartilage space
Soft tissue
what does radiolucent mean?
it did not absorb anything from the x-ray, you can see through it
what does radiopaque mean?
it did absorb radiation from the x-ray, meaning it shows up very well
how would air appear on an x-ray?
black, or very radiolucent. can’t see it
how would fat appear on an x-ray?
almost black / very radiolucent, can MAYBE see it better compared to air but can’t really see it
how would water appear on an x-ray?
dark grey, can see it better than air/fat but still not the best view. it is more radiolucent than radiopaque
how would bone appear on an x-ray?
light-medium grey, can see it and is more radiopaque than radiolucent
how would contrast media appear on an x-ray?
very light grey, can see it well. it is radiopaque
what is contrast media?
use to be used for orthogram x-rays
used to inject in a joint (typically a knee) some type of media that would show up on the x-ray to see if that contrast media migrated to areas that might be torn
how would heavy metals (prosthetics, implants, etc) appear on an x-ray?
bright white, very radiopaque
what’s a key point about screening tests?
it’s the highest sensitivity, used to rule out some diagnoses
what’s a key point about confirming tests?
it’s the highest specificity, used to diagnose
what’s the term Dr. Elliott wanted us to remember when it comes to screening vs. confirming tests?
Snout, Rule it Out
Spin, Rule it In
sn in snout = highest SeNsitivity
sp in spin = highest SPecificity
