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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