Straight Outta Thorax
The recommended oblique position used to demonstrate the sternum.
What is the RAO (Right Anterior Oblique) position?
This dense structure normally obscures the sternum on a true AP or PA projection.
What is the thoracic spine?
The breathing used for oblique sternum imaging.
What is the orthostatic (breathing) technique?
The breathing used for lateral sternum imaging.
What is full inspiration?
The preferred patient position for imaging ribs above the diaphragm.
What is erect?
The preferred patient position for imaging ribs below the diaphragm.
What is recumbent (supine)?
The most common cause of rib fractures.
What is trauma?
The recommended kVp range for adult sternum radiography.
What is 65-80?
The typical degree of rotation used for a sternum RAO.
What is 15° to 20°?
The recommended exposure time used with the breathing technique for an oblique sternum.
What is 3 to 4 seconds?
The minimum SID recommended for sternum radiography.
What is 40 inches (100 cm)?
The breathing instruction used when imaging ribs above the diaphragm.
What is suspend respiration on deep inspiration?
The recommended kVp range for imaging ribs above the diaphragm.
What is 55-65 (book says 75 to 85) kVp?
A collection of organs that may be injured when a rib fracture occurs.
What are the lungs, heart, and great vessels?
A barrel-chested patient typically requires approximately this amount of rotation for a sternum RAO.
What is 15 degrees?
Proper collimation improves image quality by reducing this type of radiation.
What is scatter radiation?
The preferred projection for sternoclavicular joints.
What is PA?
The minimum SID recommended for all rib studies.
What is 40 inches (100 cm)?
After the initial projection, the patient is typically rotated this amount for oblique rib imaging.
What is 45 degrees?
The breathing instruction used for ribs below the diaphragm.
What is suspend respiration on expiration?
Fractures of this specific rib are often associated with injury to underlying arteries or veins.
What is the first rib?
Ribs that lack costotransverse joints.
What are ribs 11 and 12?
The sternum is moved away from the thoracic spine and projected over this structure for this reason during an RAO sternum.
What is the heart and to create a homogenous background of uniform density?
The guiding principle used when choosing AP versus PA rib projections.
What is placing the area of interest closest to the image receptor?
This exposure control method is generally not recommended for rib examinations.
What is Automatic Exposure Control (AEC)?
The preferred oblique position for left posterior rib trauma.
What is LPO?
The preferred projections for right anterior rib trauma.
What are PA and LAO?
A condition caused by multiple adjacent ribs being fractured in two or more places, creating a free-floating segment of the chest wall
What is flail chest?
The patient should be at least this far from the collimator surface during sternum imaging.
What is 15 inches (40 cm)?
PA sternoclavicular projections reduce radiation exposure to this gland.
What is the thyroid gland?
This may be placed on the site of rib injury to help the radiologist in their diagnosis.
What is a small metallic BB?
The easiest landmark to palpate on a bariatric patient for sternum and rib positioning.
What is the jugular notch?
The two primary concerns in pediatric radiography.
What are patient motion and safety?
This congenital deformity, also called funnel chest, is characterized by a depressed sternum and is often corrected surgically for cosmetic reasons.
What is pectus excavatum?
Lower rib fractures involving ribs 9 through 12 may injure these abdominal organs.
What are the spleen, liver, and kidney?
Four important questions a technologist should ask when obtaining a rib history.
What are the nature of the complaint, location of pain, presence of trauma/breathing difficulty, and ability to stand?
Exposure factors for geriatric patients may require reduction because of this common condition.
What is osteoporosis?
The two reasons a SID of 72 inches (180 cm) is preferred when imaging ribs.
What is to reduce magnification and improve spatial resolution?
A bone and marrow infection that may occur as a postoperative complication following open-heart surgery requiring the sternum to be split.
What is osteomyelitis?
A metastatic bone lesion characterized by a mixed pattern of bone destruction and new bone formation, producing a moth-eaten appearance.
What is a combination osteolytic and osteoblastic lesion?
This congenital anomaly, also known as "pigeon breast," is characterized by anterior protrusion of the lower sternum and xiphoid process.
What is pectus carinatum?
The abnormal breathing pattern seen with flail chest due to instability of the chest wall.
What is paradoxical chest movement?