More Questions/ X-Ray Information

Living in a small town is sometimes a bad thing. Everyone knows you..AND knows where you work. I have people calling me quite often to ask about their x-ray reports, the preparations, who's in the hospital, you name it. But, here are a few of the more popular questions I am asked.
When will MY doctor get the report? Truthfully, that's a very complex question. Most all x-rays performed before 5:00 pm will be read that same day(at my hospital anyway) The reports are transcribed & sent to the ordering physician..that day. Some places have the orders faxed over to the physician. At our hospital the Dr's office has to come over to pick up reports. And therein lies part of the problem. IF the office is very busy they may not have time to come and pick up reports..that day. Invariably, the patient calls us to say that the x-rays were not read and so they just don't have results yet. In most hospitals the x-rays are read the same day or the day after so you should definitley have results within 2 days.
Why do I have to remove jewelery when having an x-ray? This is an easy one. X-ray will pass through clothing but it cannot penetrate metallic objects. These objects will be white blobs on the x-ray film and can possibly cover up some pathology. We also have patients remove zippers, buttons, etc. for the same reason. It is advisable to wear clothing suitable, such as sweat pants, or elastic waist pants. Shirts with no buttons, and for women a sports bra, as it has no metal.
Will an x-ray show a torn cartilege? Simply put, an x-ray primarily shows bones. Granted, the Radiologist can tell alot, but typically to see a torn cartilege, usually in the knee, the patient needs to have an MRI. MRI shows exquisite detail of the tissues and ligaments, whereas x-ray cannot.This is also very helpful for patients that may have a rotator cuff problem.
Why do I have to hold my breath for x-rays? It really depends on which type of x-ray you are having. Basically, when a person breathes the diaphragm moves up and down. If I am x-raying the kidneys and my patient breathes, the kidneys look blurred because they do in fact move when the patient breathes. If I am x-raying a patient's chest to see the lungs,heart, etc..I need the patient to take a really deep breath and hold it in. The reason is that on deep inspiration the lungs are completely filled with air, and I can also see more of the heart shadow.

These are just a few of many questions. Post me if you have any you would like answered.