Chest x-ray review: circulation

Changed by Craig Hacking, 8 Apr 2020

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This is a basic article for medical students and other non-radiologists

Chest x-ray review is a key competency for medical students, junior doctors and other allied health professionals. Using A, B, C, D, E is a helpful and systematic method for chest x-ray review where C refers to circulation and assessment of the heart and cardiomediastinal contour.

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Summary

introduction
- assessment of the mediastinum
- predominantly about the heart
- remember the other structures in the mediastinum
procedure
- assess the position of the heart
  - is it on the left and is the apex pointing to the left
- assess the heart size
  - PA projection: should be ~~&gt~~<50% of the chest diameter
  - AP projection: will be artifactually enlarged
- aortic knuckle
  - should be on the left
- upper mediastinal contour
- pulmonary vessels
- hilar structures
  - left hilum usually higher than the right
checklist
- cardiac position
- cardiac size
- aortic arch and upper mediastinum
- hilar vessels

~~-<li>PA projection: should be >50% of the chest diameter</li>~~
+<li>PA projection: should be <50% of the chest diameter</li>
~~-<a title="Aortic knuckle" href="/articles/aortic-knob">aortic knuckle</a><ul><li>should be on the left</li></ul>~~
+<a href="/articles/aortic-knob">aortic knuckle</a><ul><li>should be on the left</li></ul>
~~-<li>hilar structures<ul><li>left <a title="Pulmonary hilum" href="/articles/pulmonary-hilum-2">hilum</a> usually higher than the right</li></ul>~~
+<li>hilar structures<ul><li>left <a href="/articles/lung-hilum">hilum</a> usually higher than the right</li></ul>

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Chest x-ray review: circulation

Updates to Article Attributes

This is a basic article for medical students and other non-radiologists

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Summary

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