Mobile AP Chests

A reminder to radiographer students.
Appropriate patient positioning is very crucial in obtaining an accurate diagnosis!

Look at the image below and notice how much worst the lung pathology on the supine looks!

Here are some tips for a mobile AP chest
1. Let the patient sit for a few minutes – have a chat to them while you wait. You have to let the fluid (if any settle).
2. Ask the patient to scoot back into the crease of the bed to ensure a nice erect sitting positing.
3. Add a pillow behind the patient’s back to push them further forward.
4. If the patient can only sit semi-erect, try a reverse trendelenburg position (lower the feet using the bed settings). This also means that you get a better horizontal beam, allowing for better air-fluid level visualisation.