Rad Exam 2 Questions and Answers
What are the five technical factors that will help you to determine if a chest radiograph is adequate for
interpretation or whether certain artifacts may have been introduced which can lead you astray? -
Answer-Penetration, inspiration, rotation, magnification, angulation
On a technically adequate chest radiograph, you can see the thoracic spine through the heart shadow.
This is proper demonstration of _______ - Answer-Penetration
What should you see for inspiration in a technically adequate chest radiograph? - Answer-At least 8-9
posterior ribs
In a technically adequate chest radiograph, spinous processes should fall equidistant between the
medial ends of the clavicals. Which technical factor does this describe? - Answer-Rotation
Magnification is a technical factor that defines adequate chest radiographs. What would you see on a
normal, well done X ray? - Answer-Anteroposterior (AP) films (mostly portable chest x-rays) will magnify
the heart slightly
Describe angulation in a technically adequate chest radiograph. - Answer-The clavicle normally has an
"S" shape and the medial end superimposses on the 3rd or 4th rib
,You can tell if a frontal chest radiograph is _______ if you cannot see the thoracic spine through the
heart - Answer-Underpenetrated (too light)
What two errors can underpenetration introduce? - Answer-"1. The L hemidiaphragm may not be
visible on the frontal image because the L lung base may appear opaque. This technical artifact could
either mimic or hide true disease in the left lower lung field (e.g., L lower lobe pneumonia or L pleural
effusion). To avoid this, look at the lateral chest radiograph to confirm the presence of disease at the L
base
2. Pulmonary markings, which are mostly the blood vessels in the lung, may appear more prominent
than they really are. You may mistakenly think the patient is in CHF or has pulmonary fibrosis. To
recognize this pitfall, look for other radiologic signs of CHF"
What is a pitfall of overpenetration? - Answer-(Too dark). The lung markings may seem decreased or
absent You may think the patient has emphysema or a pneumothorax or, if te degree of
overpenetration is marked, it could render a pulmonary nodule almost invisible. To prevent this, look for
other radiological signs of emphysema/pneumothorax
How do you ensure a reproducible radiographic image for comparison from one study to the next and
eliminate artifacts? - Answer-Full inspiration
The _______ can be assessed by counting the number of posterior ribs visible above the diaphragm -
Answer-Degree of inspiration
How do you differentiate between anterior and posterior ribs? - Answer-"Posterior ribs are immediately
more apparent. They are oriented more or less horizontally. Each pair of posterior attaches to the
thoracic vertebral body.
Anterior are visible, but are more difficult to see on the frontal chest radiograph. Anterior ribs oriented
downward toward feet. anterior ribs attach to the sternum or each other with cartilage, which is usually
not visible on radiographs until later in life when the cartilage may calcify"
If _______ posterior ribs are visible, it is an excellent inspiration. In hospitalized patients, visualization of
_______ is a degree that's usually adequate. - Answer-10. 8-9
,A poor inspiratory effort will compress and crowd the lung markings, especially at the bases of the lungs
near the diaphragm. How may you misdiagnose this? - Answer-Lower lobe pneumonia
What is the easiest way to assess how the patient is rotated in an X-ray? - Answer-"Ask the rad
tech/radiologist. But for Kev's test, the answer is:
Study the relationship between the clavicles and the thoracic spine"
Significant _______ may alter the expected contours of the ehart and great vessels, the hila, and the
hemidiaphragms - Answer-Rotation
In the standard PA chest radiograph the heart, being an anterior structure, is _______ to the imaging
surface and thus is truer to its actual size - Answer-Closer
Portable, bedside chest radiographs are almost always _______ - Answer-AP
If the patient is sitting or standing upright and the x-ray beam is angled upward, the image is called an
_______ view. If the beam is horizontal but the patient is tilted backward, this produces _______. -
Answer-Apical lordotic. Same, apical lordotic effect
What are pitfalls of excessive angulation? - Answer-You can recognize an apical lordotic chest study
when yo usee the clavicles project at or above the first ribs on the frontal image. An apical lordotic view
distorst the appearance of the clavicles, straightening their normal "S" shape appearance.
If the chest is adequately penetrated, you should be able to see spine through the heart. _______
studies obscure the left lung base and tend to spuriously accentuate the lung markings. _______ studies
may mimic emphysema or pneumothorax - Answer-Underpenetrated (too light). Overpenetrated (too
dark)
, If the patient has taken an _______, you should see at least 8-9 posterior ribs above the diaphragm;
poor inspiratory efforts may mimic _______ and may make the heart appear larger - Answer-Adequate
inspiration. Basilar lung disease
The spinous process should fall equidistant between the medial ends of the clavicles to indicate the
patient is _______. Rotation can introduce numerous artifactual anomalies affecting the contour of the
heart and the appearane of the hila and diaphragm - Answer-Not rotated
_______ films will magnify the heart slightly compared with the standard _______ chest radiograph. -
Answer-Anteroposterior (AP) (most portable chest X-ray). Posteroanterior (PA) - usually done in
radiology department
Frontal views of the chest obtained with the patient semiupright in bed (tilted backward) may produce
_______ images that distort normal anatomy - Answer-Apical lordotic
Why are you not going to use the "gestalt" way of viewing an image? - Answer-Because you aren't a
seasoned radiologist. Radiologists frequently use a "gestalt" impression of a study that they see in their
mind's eye within seconds of looking at an image. If the image does or does not corespond to the mental
image that resides in their brains, THEN they systematically study the images. This ability comes only
with experience
Virtually all of the "white lines" you see in the lungs on a chest radiograph are _______ - Answer-Blood
vessels
_______ are mostly invisible on a normal chest radiograph because they are normally very thin-walled,
they contain air, and they are surrounded by air - Answer-Bronchi
The pleura is composed of two layers: _______ and _______ - Answer-Outer parietal and inner visceral
layers with a pleural space between them
Normally there are several mL of fluid, but NO _______, in the pleural space - Answer-Air
What are the five technical factors that will help you to determine if a chest radiograph is adequate for
interpretation or whether certain artifacts may have been introduced which can lead you astray? -
Answer-Penetration, inspiration, rotation, magnification, angulation
On a technically adequate chest radiograph, you can see the thoracic spine through the heart shadow.
This is proper demonstration of _______ - Answer-Penetration
What should you see for inspiration in a technically adequate chest radiograph? - Answer-At least 8-9
posterior ribs
In a technically adequate chest radiograph, spinous processes should fall equidistant between the
medial ends of the clavicals. Which technical factor does this describe? - Answer-Rotation
Magnification is a technical factor that defines adequate chest radiographs. What would you see on a
normal, well done X ray? - Answer-Anteroposterior (AP) films (mostly portable chest x-rays) will magnify
the heart slightly
Describe angulation in a technically adequate chest radiograph. - Answer-The clavicle normally has an
"S" shape and the medial end superimposses on the 3rd or 4th rib
,You can tell if a frontal chest radiograph is _______ if you cannot see the thoracic spine through the
heart - Answer-Underpenetrated (too light)
What two errors can underpenetration introduce? - Answer-"1. The L hemidiaphragm may not be
visible on the frontal image because the L lung base may appear opaque. This technical artifact could
either mimic or hide true disease in the left lower lung field (e.g., L lower lobe pneumonia or L pleural
effusion). To avoid this, look at the lateral chest radiograph to confirm the presence of disease at the L
base
2. Pulmonary markings, which are mostly the blood vessels in the lung, may appear more prominent
than they really are. You may mistakenly think the patient is in CHF or has pulmonary fibrosis. To
recognize this pitfall, look for other radiologic signs of CHF"
What is a pitfall of overpenetration? - Answer-(Too dark). The lung markings may seem decreased or
absent You may think the patient has emphysema or a pneumothorax or, if te degree of
overpenetration is marked, it could render a pulmonary nodule almost invisible. To prevent this, look for
other radiological signs of emphysema/pneumothorax
How do you ensure a reproducible radiographic image for comparison from one study to the next and
eliminate artifacts? - Answer-Full inspiration
The _______ can be assessed by counting the number of posterior ribs visible above the diaphragm -
Answer-Degree of inspiration
How do you differentiate between anterior and posterior ribs? - Answer-"Posterior ribs are immediately
more apparent. They are oriented more or less horizontally. Each pair of posterior attaches to the
thoracic vertebral body.
Anterior are visible, but are more difficult to see on the frontal chest radiograph. Anterior ribs oriented
downward toward feet. anterior ribs attach to the sternum or each other with cartilage, which is usually
not visible on radiographs until later in life when the cartilage may calcify"
If _______ posterior ribs are visible, it is an excellent inspiration. In hospitalized patients, visualization of
_______ is a degree that's usually adequate. - Answer-10. 8-9
,A poor inspiratory effort will compress and crowd the lung markings, especially at the bases of the lungs
near the diaphragm. How may you misdiagnose this? - Answer-Lower lobe pneumonia
What is the easiest way to assess how the patient is rotated in an X-ray? - Answer-"Ask the rad
tech/radiologist. But for Kev's test, the answer is:
Study the relationship between the clavicles and the thoracic spine"
Significant _______ may alter the expected contours of the ehart and great vessels, the hila, and the
hemidiaphragms - Answer-Rotation
In the standard PA chest radiograph the heart, being an anterior structure, is _______ to the imaging
surface and thus is truer to its actual size - Answer-Closer
Portable, bedside chest radiographs are almost always _______ - Answer-AP
If the patient is sitting or standing upright and the x-ray beam is angled upward, the image is called an
_______ view. If the beam is horizontal but the patient is tilted backward, this produces _______. -
Answer-Apical lordotic. Same, apical lordotic effect
What are pitfalls of excessive angulation? - Answer-You can recognize an apical lordotic chest study
when yo usee the clavicles project at or above the first ribs on the frontal image. An apical lordotic view
distorst the appearance of the clavicles, straightening their normal "S" shape appearance.
If the chest is adequately penetrated, you should be able to see spine through the heart. _______
studies obscure the left lung base and tend to spuriously accentuate the lung markings. _______ studies
may mimic emphysema or pneumothorax - Answer-Underpenetrated (too light). Overpenetrated (too
dark)
, If the patient has taken an _______, you should see at least 8-9 posterior ribs above the diaphragm;
poor inspiratory efforts may mimic _______ and may make the heart appear larger - Answer-Adequate
inspiration. Basilar lung disease
The spinous process should fall equidistant between the medial ends of the clavicles to indicate the
patient is _______. Rotation can introduce numerous artifactual anomalies affecting the contour of the
heart and the appearane of the hila and diaphragm - Answer-Not rotated
_______ films will magnify the heart slightly compared with the standard _______ chest radiograph. -
Answer-Anteroposterior (AP) (most portable chest X-ray). Posteroanterior (PA) - usually done in
radiology department
Frontal views of the chest obtained with the patient semiupright in bed (tilted backward) may produce
_______ images that distort normal anatomy - Answer-Apical lordotic
Why are you not going to use the "gestalt" way of viewing an image? - Answer-Because you aren't a
seasoned radiologist. Radiologists frequently use a "gestalt" impression of a study that they see in their
mind's eye within seconds of looking at an image. If the image does or does not corespond to the mental
image that resides in their brains, THEN they systematically study the images. This ability comes only
with experience
Virtually all of the "white lines" you see in the lungs on a chest radiograph are _______ - Answer-Blood
vessels
_______ are mostly invisible on a normal chest radiograph because they are normally very thin-walled,
they contain air, and they are surrounded by air - Answer-Bronchi
The pleura is composed of two layers: _______ and _______ - Answer-Outer parietal and inner visceral
layers with a pleural space between them
Normally there are several mL of fluid, but NO _______, in the pleural space - Answer-Air
