Normall you want the side of the body you are interested in closest to the film.
This PA upright chest x-ray is from a young woman who presented with chief complaints of severe bone pain and fever.
AP means the rays pass anterior to posterior, and vice versa.
However, portable CXR's are always AP. If you wanted a chest Xray, this would be PA as the heart is situated anteriorly. This distance diminishes the effect of beam divergence and magnification of structures closer to the x-ray tube. Age: 30 Gender: Male From the case: Differences in PA versus AP projection on a chest radiograph. PA view-1. Magnification is exaggerated further by the shorter distance between the X-ray source and the patient, often required when acquiring an AP image. Clavicle remains at top of lung field 2. PA vs AP. Ribs slanted 3. The detector is anterior to the patient. Motor bike accident. THE QUESTION REALLY IS HOW CAN ONE RAPIDLY DECIDE WHETHER THE CHEST X RAY IS AP OR PA AND THE ANSWER IS ANGULATION. On the film below the exam was obtained in an AP or anteroposterior position. But the basics of Chest X-Ray here will guide you through various aspects, including Counting ribs, PA vs AP view, Inspiratory vs Expiratory X-Ray, Erect vs Supine, Lucency and Opacity and some common terms like Consolidation and Pleural Effusion. AP means the rays pass anterior to posterior, and vice versa. Usual view Ribs lie more horizontal 3. Determine the ownership, adequacy and technical quality of the film. A cross table, or cross fire, chest x-ray is the same as a LAT chest. Note that the chest has a difference appearance. Differences in PA versus AP projection on a chest radiograph. The heart, being an anterior structure within the chest, is magnified by an AP view. PA chest radiograph has a higher diagnostic accuracy when compared with AP chest radiograph, with negative PA chest radiograph showing less probability for aortic dissection. Presentation. Usually bedridden and infants. The mean radiation dose to an adult from a chest radiograph is around 0.02 mSv (2 mrem) for a front view (PA, or posteroanterior) and 0.08 mSv (8 mrem) for a side view (LL, or latero-lateral).
E Edges of the Heart However, portable CXR's are always AP. Comparison of PA vs. AP views of chest X-rays. Lower threshold for proceeding to computed tomography aortogram is recommended however, especially in the elderly and patients with widened mediastinum on AP chest radiograph. Note the differences between the AP and PA chest films below.