What is a common indication for performing a decubitus CXR?
Indication. Undertaken to demonstrate small pleural effusions, or for the investigation of pneumothorax and air trapping due to inhaled foreign bodies.
What is a decubitus X ray?
Decubitus means lying down; thus, this projection is made with the patient lying on their side and the x-ray beam horizontal (parallel) to the floor.
What’s the difference between pneumothorax and tension pneumothorax?
Pneumothorax is when air collects in between the parietal and viscera pleurae resulting in lung collapse. It can happen secondary to trauma (traumatic pneumothorax). When mediastinal shifts accompany it, it is called a tension pneumothorax.
How is pneumothorax calculated?
A simple approach involves measuring the distance from the apex of the lung to the top margin of the visceral pleura (thoracic cupola) on the upright chest radiograph, so that a small pneumothorax is a distance to the apex that measures less than 3 cm and large pneumothorax has greater than 3 cm distance to the apex.
What is the difference between recumbent and decubitus?
In medical parlance, the recovery position is called the lateral recumbent position, or sometimes it is referred to as the lateral decubitus position. In nearly every case, first aid providers are advised to place the patient on his or her left side and regularly call it the left lateral recumbent position.
What is apical Lordotic view of the lungs?
The AP lordotic projection is often used to evaluate suspicious areas within the lung apices that appeared obscured by overlying soft tissue, upper ribs or the clavicles on previous chest views (e.g. in cases of tuberculosis or tumor).
How long should the patient be in the decubitus position before making an exposure?
When possible, the patient should be placed in the upright or decubitus position for at least 5 minutes before exposing the radiograph to allow free air to accumulate in the elevated part of the peritoneal cavity.
Why do we do a left lateral decubitus abdomen?
The lateral decubitus abdominal radiograph is used to identify free intraperitoneal gas (pneumoperitoneum). It can be performed when the patient is unable to be transferred to, or other imaging modalities (e.g. CT) are not available.
Which type of pneumothorax is the most serious?
A secondary pneumothorax (even when small) associated with underlying disease is much more serious and has a significant death rate. A secondary pneumothorax requires urgent and immediate treatment. Having one pneumothorax increases the risk of developing the condition again.