SPEX Radiology and Imaging Flashcards
7 cards from real SPEX practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 SPEX Radiology and Imaging flashcards as text
A patient with a pacemaker is referred for cardiac MRI. Which factor is most important in determining whether the scan can proceed safely?
Answer: Whether the device is labeled MR-Conditional and the scan is performed per manufacturer conditions
MR-Conditional labeling with adherence to specific conditions (field strength, SAR limits, programming) is the regulatory and safety standard for pacemaker MRI.
On a Tc-99m bone scan, a 'superscan' pattern is characterized by:
Answer: Diffusely increased skeletal uptake with absent or faint renal activity
A superscan reflects diffuse bony metastatic disease (or metabolic bone disease) with such avid skeletal uptake that the kidneys appear faint or absent.
Which CT window and level settings are most appropriate for evaluating lung parenchyma?
Answer: Window width ~1500 HU, window level ~-600 HU
Lung windows use a wide window (~1500 HU) centered at approximately -600 HU to display the full range of attenuation from air to soft tissue within the lungs.
A patient develops sudden onset of urticaria, bronchospasm, and hypotension 5 minutes after IV iodinated contrast administration. The most appropriate immediate treatment is:
Answer: Intramuscular epinephrine 0.3 mg (1:1000) and IV fluid resuscitation
Anaphylactic shock requires immediate IM epinephrine as the first-line treatment; antihistamines and corticosteroids are adjuncts, not primary therapy.
The ALARA principle in radiation protection stands for:
Answer: As Low As Reasonably Achievable
ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) is the guiding principle that radiation exposure should be minimized as much as practical while still achieving the diagnostic or therapeutic goal.
Which finding on hepatic ultrasound is most characteristic of hepatic steatosis (fatty liver)?
Answer: Diffusely increased hepatic echogenicity compared to the renal cortex with posterior attenuation
Fatty infiltration causes increased hepatic echogenicity relative to the kidney and posterior beam attenuation due to increased fat content.
On CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA), which finding is most diagnostic of acute pulmonary embolism?
Answer: A filling defect within a contrast-enhanced pulmonary artery that is partially or completely outlined by contrast
The direct sign of PE on CTPA is an intraluminal filling defect — a clot seen as a low-attenuation structure surrounded by high-attenuation contrast within the pulmonary artery.