General

Synonym/Acronym:
Chest radiography, CXR, lung radiography.

Rationale
To assist in the evaluation of cardiac, respiratory, and skeletal structure within the lung cavity and diagnose multiple diseases such as pneumonia and heart failure.

Patient Preparation
There are no food, fluid, activity, or medication restrictions unless by medical direction.

Normal Findings

• Normal lung fields, cardiac size and shape, mediastinal structures, thoracic spine, ribs, and diaphragm.

Critical Findings and Potential Interventions

• Foreign body
• Malposition of tube, line, or postoperative device (pacemaker)
• Pneumonia
• Pneumoperitoneum
• Pneumothorax
• Spine fracture
• TB

Timely notification to the requesting health-care provider (HCP) of any critical findings and related symptoms is a role expectation of the professional nurse. A listing of these findings varies among facilities.

Specific infectious organisms are required to be reported to local, state, and national departments of health. Lists of specific organisms may vary among facilities. State health departments provide information regarding reportable diseases which can be accessed at each state health department Web site. The CDC provides information regarding national notifiable diseases at https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/search-results-year/.