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X-ray of the lungs is a front-projection diagnosis of the chest and its organs in order to obtain anatomical topography of structures, to study the state of the respiratory organs, heart, costophrenic sinuses.
After a survey x-ray, doctors may decide on the need for lateral or targeted projections of images of a given area, laterography, as well as bronchoscopy, tomography, scintigraphy or bronchography.
The interaction of patients and doctors, aimed at the timely detection of disorders and the prevention of the development of diseases and their complications, ensures the popularity of X-ray examination of the lungs in modern clinical practice.
Features of lung radiography
X-ray of the lungs is the most popular method for examining this organ, which is used much more often than magnetic resonance and computed tomography.
Radiography provides a detailed study of internal organs when they are translucent with X-rays and the image is fixed on a digital detector or a special film, i.e. X-rays penetrate the tissues of the body and, without damaging them, form a picture of the state of human organs.
This diagnosis is related to an ordinary photograph, with the only difference being that the tissues of the human body transmit X-rays in different ways, which are reflected in the image by staining areas in different shades of gray – the denser the tissue, the lighter the area of the image.
Thus, the bones on x-rays are painted white, and the cavities and soft tissues are gray to black, depending on their light transmission.
X-ray of the lungs is of two types – survey or sighting. With a survey radiography, the lungs are considered as a whole, and with an aiming variant, a fragment necessary for a medical report. When performing computed tomography of the lungs, X-rays are also used, passing through the body from several angles at once and providing a solid three-dimensional picture of the organ.
The information content of computed tomography of the lung is higher, since a chest x-ray in fact represents only one picture, and many tomograms are made. However, the radiation in lung CT is higher due to multiple exposures. For one lung x-ray procedure, the patient receives an average of 0,1 mSv of radiation, during CT of the lungs – 2,5 mSv, therefore, it is used only if it is necessary to clarify the diagnosis.
When performing magnetic resonance imaging, harm to the body is zero, since its essence boils down to the effect of magnetic fields on the human body. However, this diagnostic is quite expensive, and it cannot be used for people who have any metal implants in their bodies – artificial joints, heart valves, pacemakers, and even pins for dental prosthetics.
When choosing a research method, doctors are based on specific indications, however, when determining the general condition of the organs, it is not advisable to use anything other than radiography. Many patients do not know the difference between x-rays and fluorography, but there is such a difference, and it consists in the fact that fluorography is a screening research method, also based on the use of x-rays and allowing you to take a picture of the chest on a fluorescent screen, which is then transferred to the film, as a result, doctors get a rather blurry and inaccurate picture of the affected areas.
However, this method is very accessible, and therefore it continues to be used in public medical institutions. Ideally, fluorography should eventually be completely replaced by radiography.
Indications and contraindications for examination
To obtain high-quality information about the state of the human respiratory system, doctors often prescribe an x-ray of the lungs. Indications and symptoms for the use of this diagnosis are:
- suspected pneumonia;
- pleurisy;
- malignant tumors in the lungs;
- tuberculosis, bronchitis and other pulmonary anomalies;
- prolonged cough;
- chest pain, shortness of breath;
- wheezing in the listened lungs of the patient;
- control over the course of therapy in diseases of the pulmonary parenchyma.
In many countries, a lung examination is a mandatory preventive procedure every 2 years, and for some categories of employees and citizens, an annual examination is strictly mandatory.
These groups include people working in maternity hospitals, military personnel, carriers of HIV infection, people who have had tuberculosis, as well as those who often come into contact with such patients.
It is also important to undergo an X-ray examination of the lungs annually for those who suffer from bronchial asthma, diabetes, stomach ulcers and other patients with severe chronic diseases.
Children can undergo an x-ray examination without indications only from the age of 15, before this age, x-rays can be prescribed by doctors in extreme cases, necessary to clarify the picture of the course of the disease. X-ray examination is not recommended for pregnant women.
About the dangers of radiography and fluorography
When using X-rays, the patient is exposed to radiation exposure, which ranges from 0,03-0,3 mSv per procedure, therefore, even when taking pictures in several projections, its total dose will not harm health. For two weeks in normal life, a person receives about the same amount of radiation. That is, there is nothing wrong with an x-ray of the lungs, the main thing is to do it exclusively according to the testimony of doctors and no more than once every two months.
With fluorography, the radiation exposure is 0,9 mSv, which is 3-30 times higher than the above indicators, depending on the quality of the equipment used.
However, even this amount of radiation does not harm human health and is safe for him.
Radiography can harm only a growing child’s body, due to its inhibitory effect on growing tissues, therefore, such an examination is not carried out for children and pregnant women without special indications. When using this diagnostic method, it is important to pay attention to the equipment with which the study will be carried out.
The better and newer the X-ray machine, the less harm the study will cause to the patient. You can also protect yourself from x-rays with a protective screen. As such a screen, a “collar” for the neck, a “cap” for the head, an “apron” for the abdomen and a “skirt” for protecting the abdominal cavity and genitals can be used. All these protective screens have a lead layer.
At a young childbearing age, experts recommend protecting the genitals and the abdominal cavity from irradiation, since the greatest negative effect of the device is reflected in the germ cells and blood.
Taking X-rays of the lungs
When performing a lung x-ray, no special preparation is required from the patient. Before the start of the study, the patient undresses, removes metal jewelry and removes long hair up. Then, with the help of a special protective apron, the patient is covered with the abdominal area, reproductive organs and is asked to stand between the ray tube and the receiving device. The radiologist will ask you to take a deep breath and hold your breath for the duration of exposure to the rays, it will take 1-2 seconds – in the absence of movement, the picture will be sharp and clear.
There are no special differences in the procedures for conducting survey or targeted radiography, but in the second case, the doctor may ask the patient to stand in a certain way, to cling to the radiation source at a specific angle for better visibility of the organ. The stay in the X-ray room lasts only a few minutes.
It is important to understand that for the purpose of prevention, X-rays should be done no more than 2 times a year, but if the doctor needs to monitor the course of treatment or the progression of the disease, such a study can be done several times a week.
The results of the study
Radiography of the lungs is necessary for specialists to diagnose various diseases of the bronchopulmonary system. With the help of such diagnostics, pneumonia, fungal diseases, as well as the presence of foreign bodies in the lungs are detected at an early stage. As a result of the examination, the doctor receives an x-ray, on the basis of which he will make a diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
Radiographs are interpreted by radiologists, who can draw conclusions about the presence of pathological processes and the sources of their occurrence from the light and dark areas of the images. For example, oncological neoplasms in the lungs are visualized in the image as rounded shadows with a clear border of different sizes. Shaded areas with blurry edges indicate the presence of cardiovascular problems, pneumonia, or a fungus. In tuberculosis, the lines of the lungs are very intense, and around them there are many dark and small rounded blackouts.
At the same time, the quality of the resulting image is very important for the radiologist, which is largely determined by the level of the X-ray machine used.
It also affects the quality of the image to ensure the complete immobility of the patient during the X-ray. Sometimes with a general diagnosis, 1 picture is taken, and sometimes 2 in different projections.
Thus, lung radiography is a simple diagnostic procedure that allows you to exclude or confirm the presence of many dangerous diseases, or, if necessary, make a diagnosis and track the course of treatment. When choosing between radiography and fluorography, doctors are increasingly choosing the first diagnostic method, since it is more informative and safer for humans.