X-rays
X-rays are essentially shadow images of the body. Different tissues in the body attenuate the x-ray beam differently. For example, bone attenuates the x-rays well resulting in relatively few x-rays exiting the patient. Therefore, the film or digital receptor receives few photons and is underexposed. Air on the other hand has very low attenuating properties and will result in an area of film or digital receptor device appearing overexposed.
X-rays are typically requested of the skeleton following trauma to exclude fracture or dislocation. Chest x-rays are useful in the investigation of pathological conditions or following trauma to check for fractures of the ribs or collapse of the lungs. Abdominal x-rays are useful to check for bowel obstruction, for example.
Preparation
In most cases no preparation is required. However, for some procedures you may be required to remove clothing, change into a gown, or remove jewelery from the region being examined
How long will the x-ray take?
Most x-rays take between 5 and 20 minutes depending on the number of views required. More specialised examinations such as Intravenous Pyelogram will take longer.
What about Radiation?
Refer to the questions on radiation in FAQ.