CPAS CPAS Troubleshooting & System Maintenance 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: If DICOM images are not routing to the correct PACS destination, what configuration element should be checked first?
- Monitor color calibration profile
- Hard drive free space percentage
- AE Title (Application Entity Title) configuration on sending and receiving devices (Correct answer)
- Printer driver version
Correct answer: AE Title (Application Entity Title) configuration on sending and receiving devices
AE Titles are unique identifiers that DICOM devices use to address each other; an incorrect AE Title on either end is the most common cause of routing failures.
Question 2: What does a 'C-STORE failure' error in PACS typically indicate?
- A successful image transfer was completed
- The destination DICOM device rejected or failed to store the transmitted image (Correct answer)
- A completed PACS database backup
- A successful DICOM query-retrieve operation
Correct answer: The destination DICOM device rejected or failed to store the transmitted image
C-STORE is the DICOM command for transmitting and saving an image; a failure response means the destination could not accept it, often due to storage limits, connectivity, or AE Title mismatch.
Question 3: When a diagnostic workstation displays images with incorrect window/level values, what is the most likely cause?
- Faulty network cable between the modality and PACS
- Incorrect DICOM presentation state or workstation display calibration settings (Correct answer)
- Low printer ink on the laser printer
- An expired user account password
Correct answer: Incorrect DICOM presentation state or workstation display calibration settings
Window/level rendering issues are almost always caused by misconfigured DICOM presentation states or workstation calibration settings, not hardware or network problems.
Question 4: Which log file type should a PACS administrator consult first when diagnosing failed DICOM image routing?
- Hospital email server logs
- DICOM service and application logs on the sending or receiving system (Correct answer)
- Building physical security access logs
- Hospital billing system transaction logs
Correct answer: DICOM service and application logs on the sending or receiving system
DICOM application logs record all send/receive events, error codes, and AE Title negotiations, making them the primary diagnostic source for routing failures.
Question 5: If the PACS archive reports unexpectedly low free storage, what should the administrator investigate first?
- Workstation monitor resolution settings
- Orphaned or duplicate studies, failed deletion jobs, or runaway log file growth (Correct answer)
- User desktop background image files
- Network switch firmware version
Correct answer: Orphaned or duplicate studies, failed deletion jobs, or runaway log file growth
Orphaned studies, failed automated deletion tasks, and unbounded log files are the most frequent causes of unexpected storage consumption in a PACS archive.
Question 6: What is the most common cause of slow image retrieval at a PACS diagnostic workstation?
- Too many USB peripheral devices connected to the workstation
- Workstation screen resolution set too high
- Network congestion or insufficient bandwidth between the workstation and PACS server (Correct answer)
- An outdated keyboard or mouse driver
Correct answer: Network congestion or insufficient bandwidth between the workstation and PACS server
PACS image files are large, and network bottlenecks are the leading cause of slow retrieval; bandwidth limitations and congestion should be the first area investigated.
CPAS CPAS Troubleshooting & System Maintenance 1
If DICOM images are not routing to the correct PACS destination, what configuration element should be checked first?