Tutorial 8: The Chest Radiograph

The chest radiograph is the most commonly performed radiological investigation. While its ubiquity may lead some to believe that it is easy to interpret, there is a wealth of information that can be garnered from this simple test. This chapter aims to familiarise students with basic chest radiograph anatomy and techniques. It also aims to help students understand the appropriate indications for this test. There are a number of emergent diagnoses which students must be able to recongise on a chest radiograph and then know how to act accordingly, e.g. tension pneumothorax. After completion of this tutorial, students should be able to accurately diagnose common and important clinical conditions on the chest radiograph.