General X-Ray
About the Procedure
An x-ray is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. Imaging with x-rays involves exposing a body part to a very small dose of radiation to produce pictures of the inside of your body. X-rays are the oldest and most frequently used form of medical imaging.
Preparation
No special preparations are usually necessary.
You may need to remove some or all of your clothing and wear a gown. You may also be asked to remove jewelry, dentures, eyeglasses or anything that may interfere with the images.
Be sure to let your physician and the technologist know if you could be pregnant.
During the Procedure
A radiological technologist will position the part of your body to be imaged. Several pictures or views may be taken. You will be asked to be very still and may need to keep from breathing for a few seconds while the pictures are taken.
After the Procedure
There are no restrictions.
Follow-up
If your images are urgent, they will be read and the results given to your physician as soon as possible. Non-urgent images will be interpreted and the results reported to your physician within 24 hours.