b.
When Removal Is Undesirable. As stated earlier, in some cases it may
not be desirable or possible to remove artifacts. If you received a trauma patient
wearing a cervical collar, for example, you would not be able to remove a necklace.
Removing the artifact, in such a case, might cause even further injury to the patient.
c. When Removal is Unfeasible. Some artifacts simply cannot be removed.
If you are doing a skull series on a patient with a glass eye or an ear implant, for
example, the artifact cannot be removed. The same would apply in the case of a
patient with a hip prosthesis. In such situations, you simply have to work around the
potential obstacle. You will still have to position the patient so that an unobstructed
view may still be obtained, despite the presence of the artifact. This is where your skill
and ingenuity as a health care professional come into play.
d. Immobilization. The only position for which we really immobilize is the
calcaneus plantodorsal. Immobilization may be used in other instances as long as it
doesn't interfere with the part being examined. Immobilization is often helpful in
stabilizing the patient.
1-3.
MEASURE BODY PART
Refer back to the order of procedure chart (figure 1-1). Measuring the part is a
matter of measuring the thickness of the body part. This measurement is important
because it is the basis for selecting technique factors. When you measure the
thickness of the body part, you take the measurement from the point at which the
CR will enter the body up through the exit site of the central ray. For an
anterior posterior (AP) foot, for example, you would measure the thickness of the
patient's foot from the anterior surface to the posterior surface through the base of the
third metatarsal.
MEASURING THE PART
Measure body part thickness:
From the entry point of the CR.
To the exit point of the CR.
1-4.
TECHNICAL FACTORS
Referring, again to the order of procedure chart, you will note that entry "c"
simply says: technical factors. This refers to the film size and its placement to the part
being radiographed, lengthwise (LW) or crosswise (CW). It also informs you if a Bucky
system is to be used, Bucky (B) or non-Bucky (NB). Ensure the correct exposure
factors are set: kilovoltage peak (kVp) and the milliamperage (mA) and the time (s).
(Milliamperage and time, measured in seconds, are usually combined into the mAs
[milliamperage and seconds]). See the Appendix (glossary) for these and other terms.
MD0962
1-7