Abdomen - Lateral

Radiographic Positioning

Adult

Other related pages of interest Applied Radiography Radiographic Anatomy Radiographic Protocols

Name of projection	Abdomen - Lateral
Area Covered	Diaphragm and as much of the lower abdomen as possible
Pathology shown	Abnormal soft tissue masses, umbilical hernia, aneurysm of aorta, calcification of vessels
Radiographic Anatomy	Abdomen Radiographic Anatomy
IR Size & Orientation	35 x 43 cm Portrait
Film / Screen Combination	Regular (CR and DR as recommended by manufacturer)
Bucky / Grid	Moving or Stationary Grid
Filter	No
Exposure	85 kVp 40 mAs
FFD / SID	100 cm
Central Ray	CR perpendicular to IR Centre to midcoronal plane - 5cm above iliac crest
Collimation	Collimate closely to upper and lower abdomen soft tissue borders Close collimation is needed because of the increased scatter and the need for soft tissue visibility
Markers	Anterior and Inferior Marker orientation AP
Shielding	Gonadal on males (check your department's policy guidelines)
Respiration	Suspended on expiration - this lifts the diaphragm and presents the abdominal contents in a more relaxed state. (check your departmental technique protocol)
Positioning	Patient lateral recumbent position (laying on their side) Make sure there is no rotation of the torso Ensure there are no artefacts, such as zips or buttons over the area being imaged CR perpendicular to IR Centre to midcoronal plane - 5cm above iliac crest
Critique PACEMAN	Positioning Area Covered Collimation Exposure
Special Notes