Abnormal chest xrays……………….
Basic Chest X-Ray Interpretation
X-rays- describe radiation which is part of the spectrum which includes visible light, gamma rays and cosmic radiation. Unlike visible light, radiation passes through stuff. When you shine a beam of X-Ray at a person and put a film on the other side of them a shadow is produced of the inside of their body.
Different tissues in our body absorb X-rays at different extents: Bone- high absorption (white) Tissue- somewhere in the middle absorption (grey) Air- low absorption (black)
General Principles Read X-Rays yourself Be systematic Be aware of common artifacts Serially compare Observe symmetry Believe you missed a finding
CXR Interpretation Format Check info on CXR Evaluate technique(rotation, penetration, lung expansion) Examine soft tissues and bones Find Alien equiptment Evaluate structures(diaphragms, trachea, hilum, heart shadows) Evaluate lung pathology last
Air bronchogram Lobar No loss of volume Consolidation
Hole Wall Lumen Content Cavity
Loss of lung volume Atelectasis
Homogenous Costophrenic angle Meniscus Pleural effusion
Pneumothorax
Bilateral Diffuse Alveolar Pulmonary edema
Bullous emphysema
Emphysema
Emphysema Flat diaphragm
Mediastinal nodes
Metastases
Case 2
Case 3
Case 4