Chest X-Ray (CXR)
Posteroanterior + lateral upright chest radiograph — the most-ordered diagnostic imaging study globally. First-line for pneumonia, pneumothorax, CHF, endotracheal/line placement, follow-up of pulmonary nodules, post-procedural check. Portable AP chest is the ICU and ED workhorse.
Clinical pathway
Upright PA/lateral: patient standing against detector, deep inspiration held, source 72 inches away.
Portable AP: patient supine or semi-upright, detector behind patient, shorter SID, no lateral.
Typical systems
- GE Optima XR220amx (portable)
- Siemens Mobilett Mira Max (portable)
- GE Discovery XR656 (fixed room)
- Philips DigitalDiagnost C90 (fixed room)
Room + procedure characteristics
- Acquisition time: seconds; interpretation usually within minutes via PACS
- Dose: 0.02–0.1 mSv per view; among the lowest-dose imaging studies
- AI: pneumothorax and nodule triage AI widely deployed on modern DR consoles and PACS