This document provides an overview of chest x-ray basics including essential information to document, different views, positioning, and indications. The standard frontal view is the posteroanterior (PA) view with the patient standing and x-ray beam from back to front. The anteroposterior (AP) view is used for sick patients and images the chest from front to back with the patient supine. Key differences between the PA and AP views are noted. Additional views like lateral, decubitus, expiration, and lordotic may be used to better evaluate specific conditions. Critical anatomy like the heart, hilum, ribs are also reviewed.

1. CHEST XRAY BASICS
DR UMAMAHESH MD,FCCP

2. Essentials Before Getting Started
 Sex of Patient
 Male
 Female
 Date of examination
 Path of x-ray beam
 PA
 AP
 Lateral
 Lateral Decubitus
 Exposure
 Overexposure
 Underexposure
 Rotation
 Breath
 Inspiration
 Expiration

3. POSTEROANTERIOR (PA) VIEW
 The standard frontal view of the chest
 Refers to direction of x-ray beam
 Positioning of the patient
 Taken at a distance of SIX FEET

4. PA VIEW

5. PA VIEW

6. ANTEROPOSTERIOR (AP) VIEW
 Patient in supine position
 Used in very sick patients, infants, one who is unable
to sit or stand
 Direction of x-ray beam
 At a distance of 4 feet
 Greater magnification

7. AP VIEW

8. AP VIEW

9. PA VS AP VIEW
 PA
 Taken in standing or sitting
 Scapulae not overlapping
lung fields
 Clavicle is not
foreshortened
 No cardiac magnification
 Fundic air bubble seen
 AP
 Taken in supine
 Scapulae overlapping
lung fields
 Clavicle is foreshortened
 Cardiac magnification
 Fundic air bubble not seen

10. PA VS AP

11. LATERAL VIEW
 Left lateral and right lateral view
 INDICATIONS:
1. Minimal pleural effusion
2. Segmental/mediastinal localizations of lesions of
chest

12. Lateral

13. DECUBITUS VIEW
 Right decubitus and Left decubitus views
 Xray beam focussed perpendicular to film
 Indications:
1.Minimal pleural effusion
2.Confirm air fluid levels in lung itself

14. Lateral Decubitus

15. Penetration

16. Rotation

17. Expiration/Inspiration

18. Counting the ribs

19. HEART

20. HILUM
RIGHT
HILUM
LEFT HILUM

21. ADDITIONAL VIEWS

22. EXPIRATORY FILM
 TO DETECT UNILATERAL OBSTRUCTIVE
EMPHYSEMA
 PNEMOTHORAX APPEARS LARGER ON
EXPIRATION

23. Lordotic view
 Used to visualize the apex of the lung, to pick up
abnormalities such as a Pancoast tumour.