X-Ray Certification Patient Care and Positioning 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which body position places the patient lying face down on the table?
- Supine
- Prone (Correct answer)
- Lateral recumbent
- Trendelenburg
Correct answer: Prone
Prone position places the patient face down (ventral surface down) on the imaging table.
Question 2: When performing a PA chest radiograph, the patient's midsagittal plane should be:
- Parallel to the IR
- Perpendicular to the IR (Correct answer)
- At a 45-degree angle to the IR
- Rotated 10 degrees toward the tube
Correct answer: Perpendicular to the IR
The midsagittal plane must be perpendicular to the IR to prevent rotation on a PA chest projection.
Question 3: During a pediatric radiograph, which immobilization device is commonly used to hold infants securely?
- Sandbags only
- Pigg-O-Stat (Correct answer)
- Bucky grid
- Lead apron wrap
Correct answer: Pigg-O-Stat
The Pigg-O-Stat is a commercially available immobilization device designed specifically for upright pediatric chest and abdomen radiographs.
Question 4: A patient arrives with a suspected cervical spine fracture from a motor vehicle accident. The FIRST priority before positioning is to:
- Remove the cervical collar for better imaging
- Maintain spinal immobilization and follow trauma protocols (Correct answer)
- Perform a lateral cervical spine with the patient standing
- Ask the patient to flex and extend the neck
Correct answer: Maintain spinal immobilization and follow trauma protocols
Spinal immobilization must be maintained until a fracture is ruled out; moving the patient improperly can cause permanent neurological injury.
Question 5: Which oblique position requires the patient to rotate so the right side is closest to the IR?
- LAO
- RAO
- LPO
- RPO (Correct answer)
Correct answer: RPO
RPO (Right Posterior Oblique) places the patient's right side closest to the IR with the posterior surface down.
Question 6: The standard source-to-image receptor distance (SID) for most routine radiographic procedures is:
- 36 inches (91 cm)
- 40 inches (102 cm) (Correct answer)
- 48 inches (122 cm)
- 72 inches (183 cm)
Correct answer: 40 inches (102 cm)
40 inches (102 cm) is the standard SID for most routine radiographic exams, balancing magnification and radiation dose.
Question 7: When transferring a patient from a wheelchair to the radiographic table, the technologist should:
- Lock the wheelchair wheels and use proper body mechanics (Correct answer)
- Lift the patient alone to save time
- Ask the patient to jump onto the table unassisted
- Leave the wheelchair unlocked for quick repositioning
Correct answer: Lock the wheelchair wheels and use proper body mechanics
Locking the wheelchair and using proper body mechanics prevents patient falls and protects the technologist from injury.
X-Ray Certification Patient Care and Positioning 2
Which body position places the patient lying face down on the table?