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Adenocarcinoma - chest X-ray
Aortic rupture, chest X-ray
Bronchial cancer - chest X-ray
Coal worker's lungs - chest X-ray
Coal workers pneumoconiosis - stage II
Coal workers pneumoconiosis - stage II #2
Coal workers pneumoconiosis, complicated
Coal workers pneumoconiosis, complicated #2
Coccidioidomycosis - chest X-ray
Lung cancer, frontal chest X-ray
Lung mass, right upper lung - chest X-ray
Lung nodule - front view chest X-ray
Lung nodule, right middle lobe - chest X-ray
Pulmonary mass - side view chest X-ray
Pulmonary nodule - front view chest X-ray
Sarcoid, stage II - chest X-ray
Sarcoid, stage IV - chest X-ray
Tuberculosis, advanced - chest X-rays
 
Overview   Risks   Results   

Chest X-ray

Alternative names:

chest radiography; serial chest X-ray; X-ray of the chest

How the test is performed:

The test is performed in a hospital radiology department or in the health care provider's office by an X-ray technician. Two views are usually taken: one in which the X-rays pass through the chest from the back (posterior-anterior view) and one in which the X-rays pass through the chest from one side to the other (lateral view). You stand in front of the machine and must hold your breath when the X-ray is taken.

How to prepare for the test:

Inform the health care provider if you are pregnant. Chest X-rays are generally avoided during the 1st and 2nd trimesters of pregnancy. You must wear a hospital gown. You must remove all jewelry.

Infants and children:
The physical and psychological preparation you can provide for this or any test or procedure depends on your child's age, interests, previous experience, and level of trust. For specific information regarding how you can prepare your child, see the following topics as they correspond to your child's age:

How the test will feel:

There is no discomfort. The film plate may feel cold.

Why the test is performed:

A chest X-ray may be ordered when an person's symptoms include a persistent cough, coughing up blood, chest pain, a chest injury, or difficulty in breathing. The test is also used when tuberculosis, lung cancer, or other chest or lung disease is suspected.

A serial chest X-ray (repeated or sequential) may be used to evaluate changes over time if an abnormality found on a chest X-ray (for example, an increase in the size of an abnormality over a period of weeks).


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