Chapter 20 Review of Thoracic Imaging

Chapter 20  Review of Thoracic Imaging

Complete Chapter Questions And Answers
 

Sample Questions

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. What lung problem is ventilation/perfusion () scanning used to detect?
a.
asthma
b.
pulmonary embolism
c.
pneumonia
d.
lung cancer

ANS: B
Ventilation/perfusion scanning (also known as scanning) is often used in evaluating for pulmonary embolism.

DIF: Recall REF: p. 452 OBJ: 7

2. Which of the following structures will result in the most radiopaque shadow on the chest radiograph?
a.
aorta
b.
heart
c.
lungs
d.
ribs

ANS: D
Bone absorbs a large amount of the x-ray beam and is seen as a nearly white (radiopaque) shadow.

DIF: Recall REF: p. 453 OBJ: 2

3. The right heart shadow is NOT visible on the chest radiograph. Which of the following pathologies may explain this?
a.
right middle lobe pneumonia
b.
right lung pneumothorax
c.
bilateral emphysema
d.
bleb in the right lower lobe

ANS: A
The structures visible on a chest radiograph are seen only when tissue of one density is next to tissue of another density. For example, the heart is visible as a soft tissue density in the middle of the chest because the lungs, which are primarily air density, normally surround it. If the chest on either side of the heart were filled with water (pulmonary consolidation or pleural effusion) the normal heart shadow would not be visible on the radiograph.

DIF: Recall REF: p. 453 OBJ: 5

4. In which of the following situations is obtaining a chest radiograph least useful?
a.
following intubation
b.
following placement of a central venous pressure line
c.
when the static pressure drops by 2 cm H2O during CMV
d.
when the patient’s oxygenation status deteriorates for no known reason

ANS: C
The respiratory therapist needs to be familiar with the common clinical indications for obtaining a chest radiograph (Table 20-1).

DIF: Recall REF: p. 466 OBJ: 1

5. In what pulmonary condition does the chest radiograph often “lag behind” the clinical status of the patient?
a.
pulmonary embolism
b.
emphysema
c.
pneumonia
d.
congestive heart failure

ANS: C
The chest radiograph often lags behind the clinical condition of the patient. This is common in pneumonia where the patient may come in with high fever and cough typical for pneumonia but an infiltrate on the chest film may not appear for 12 to 24 hours.

DIF: Recall REF: p. 454 OBJ: 3