A chest x-ray is a two-dimensional picture of the lungs and heart, obtained using an x-ray beam. This safe, inexpensive evaluation is one of the most common tests utilized in the care of patients with known or suspected heart or lung disease.
A chest x-ray may be performed either in a physician's office or in the hospital. In many instances, two separate images are obtained as part of the test: the "PA" and "lateral" views. To obtain a standard PA or postero-anterior view (it is called postero-anterior because the x-ray beam comes from the posterior or back and moves through the chest to the anterior or front), the patient is positioned so that his or her chest touches the container of the x-ray film. The x-ray machine sends a beam from the back, and the resultant image is recorded on the film, as shown below. A "lateral" film is obtained by having the patient stand sideways in front of the film. This allows the physician to examine the chest from the side, and this image may help pickup, confirm, or rule out an abnormality suspected on the PA view.
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