Chest X-ray
Purpose
A chest X-ray lets doctors take pictures of the structures inside the chest, including the heart, lungs, blood vessels, and bones. X-ray pictures of the chest can show how large the heart is and whether there is too much fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema) caused by heart failure.
X-ray machines emit low-level radiation. When the machine is aimed at the chest, the radiation passes through the body. Different structures in the chest absorb different levels of radiation. When the particles pass though the other side of the body, they are captured on a special type of film that makes the X-ray picture. Structures that absorb the most radiation, like bones, will look white on the X-ray film. Structures that absorb less radiation, like the heart, will look grey. Spaces in the chest filled by air will look black.
Often, more detailed images of the heart will be needed to confirm problems seen on a chest X-ray. These images may be taken by computed tomography (CT) or nuclear imaging.
Description
- The patient either stands in front of the X-ray machine or lies down on a table with the machine positioned above the table. An X-ray technician makes sure the patient is positioned correctly.
- The X-ray technician takes two pictures: one of the front of the patient’s chest and one of the side of the chest. The X-ray procedure usually only takes a few minutes.
- The pictures are looked at by a radiologist (a doctor who specializes in reading medical images), who sends a report to the patient’s doctor.
