Chest X-ray
X-Ray, Chest
Why It Is Done
A chest X-ray is done to:
- Help find the cause of common symptoms such as a cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain.
- Find lung conditions—such as pneumonia, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), collapsed lung (pneumothorax), or cystic fibrosis—and monitor treatment for these conditions.
- Find some heart problems, such as an enlarged heart, heart failure, and problems causing fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), and to monitor treatment for these conditions.
- Look for problems from a chest injury, such as rib fractures or lung damage.
- Find foreign objects, such as coins or other small pieces of metal, in the tube to the stomach (esophagus), the airway, and the lungs. A chest X-ray may not be able to see food, nuts, or wood fibers. See an X-ray of a coin in the esophagus
.
- See if a tube, catheter, or other medical device has been placed in the proper position in a lung, the heart, blood vessels of the chest, or the stomach.
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| Author: | Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS | Last Updated: September 11, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Paul D. Traughber, MD - Radiology Kenneth B. Sutherland, CD, BSc, MD, FRCPC - Diagnostic Radiology | |
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| Topic Contents | |
| Test Overview | |
 | Why It Is Done |
| How To Prepare | |
| How It Is Done | |
| How It Feels | |
| Risks | |
| Results | |
| What Affects the Test | |
| What To Think About | |
| References | |
| Credits | |