Doctor Medicine over 6 years ago

The ABDOMEN X-RAY:

I alway found this exam to be tougher than the chest X-ray. So what do I look for? 1. Bowel - small bowel is central and large bowel is around the periphery. Look for dilated loops of bowel filled with gas and or air/fluid levels to suggest obstruction. 2. Check for free air under the diaphragm. That’s a sign of bowel perforation. Your next move should be to pick up the phone and call the referring physician. Do not miss this! 3. Look at the organs, particularly the liver and spleen and determine if normal in size or enlarged. 4. Scan the kidneys, ureters and bladder and check them for calcifications indicating stones. 5. Look for calcifications in the right upper quadrant which indicates gallstones. 6. Check the bones of the spine and pelvis. Look for fractures or destructive lesions. Honestly, there is a lot more information that can be gathered from an X-ray of the abdomen, but those are some of the basics and I hope this helps you guys refine your search pattern. Credits: @theradiologyguy