Pitfalls
Chest x-rays
Common pitfalls that occur when interpreting chest radiographs include:
- Missing a pneumothorax or a haemothorax in supine film
- Soft tissue shadowing being mistaken for consolidation
- Nipple shadows being mistaken for a nodule
- Scapula border, folds of skin, clothing or other artefact being mistaken for a pneumothorax
- Mistaking the junction of the posterior rib and the transverse process for a rib fracture
- It is normal for the Caecum to be “loaded”
Abdominal x-rays
Common pitfalls that occur when interpreting abdominal radiographs include:
- Mistaking phleboliths for renal calculi
- A gastric bubble or bowel gas being mistaken for free gas
- Equating faecal loading with constipation