Chest radiography is one of the most common imaging tests performed in clinical practice, typically for cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, chest wall trauma, or assessment of occult disease. Standard chest radiographs are obtained with the patient standing facing an x-ray film or digital cassette, 6 feet away from an x-ray tube. The tube fires x-rays through the patient from back to front (ie, posterior to anterior [PA]). This reduces the magnification of the heart and other anterior mediastinal structures that are situated close to the film in the PA position. Similarly, the left side of the chest should be adjacent to the cassette on a lateral view to minimize magnification of the heart.
Interpretation of a chest radiograph requires a careful, systematic examination of the entire study. However, the chest radiograph is frequently first viewed by nonradiologists.
How familiar are you with chest radiography findings associated with certain conditions? Test yourself with this quick quiz.
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Cite this: Fast Five Quiz: Can You Identify Key Radiography Findings? - Medscape - Aug 15, 2017.
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