CATEGORY: X-ray
SYNONYM/ALIASES: LOWER BACK, LUMBOSACRAL SPINE, ANTEROPOSTERIOR, LATERAL, FLEXION, EXTENSION, RIGHT/LEFT OBLIQUES
ABBREVIATIONS: L/SPINE
TEST IN BRIEF: An x-ray image is also referred to as a radiograph. Obtaining an image is similar to having a photograph taken in a studio. A radiographer uses X-rays (short wavelength) which are invisible to the human eye to create an image of internal structures/organs. X-rays reveal body structures proportional with their density; the denser the tissue, the less x-ray passes through it and this difference in body density is why bone (high body tissue density) is white on a radiograph, compared to fat (low body tissue density) which is gray, or air (no density) which is black.
EXAM REQUIREMENT: Please notify the radiographer if you are or think you might be pregnant (female clients). Patient lies still till the end of the procedure/ exam.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR RADIOGRAPHER: Capture accurate patient information when reading request form to identify indications and contra-indications before the procedure/exam.
METHOD: Patient lies still on the x-ray couch. The part to be x-rayed is exposed to a small dose of ionizing radiation to produce pictures/ images of the inside of the body at different angles and positions considering region of exam, type of exam, and size of patient. Images of good radiographic quality are printed and subsequently reported on by the radiologist. A comprehensive report detailing the patient name, gender, age, procedure date, procedure name and findings is provided.
SETUP: All working days
RESULTS READY: 20 minutes (after completion of the test)