X-Ray Flashcards
What colour is air on an X-ray
Black
What colour is fat on an X-ray
Dark grey
What colour is fluid on a X-ray
Light grey
What colour is bone on an X-ray
Grey white
What colour is metal on an X-ray
White
Things to check before reading an X-ray
-Label (read it)
-Orientation
-Rotation (clavicals)
-Quality
Under exposure
Fever X-ray strike film; film will too white
Looks washed out, lose delineation of tissue borders
An infiltrate will be more prominent
Over exposure
More X-rays strike through film; film will be too dark
Not enough contrast to delineate
What are the skeletal structures
Scapulae
Humeri
Clavicles
Ribs
Spine
What are the soft tissues
Chest wall (outside of lung fields)
Neck
Mediastinum
Breasts
Diaphragm
Mediastinal structures
Identify trachea (midline?)
Carina
Smaller airways should not be visible
How big should the heart be
No more than half the width of the thorax
Approach to X-ray interpretation
Airway
Bones
Cardiac
Diaphragm
Esophagus
Fields
Gastric bubble
Lines (ETT NG/OG, chest tubes, Catheters)
