title: Nursing assessment of portable AP chest x-rays.
abstract: Daily portable chest x-rays are often used to monitor the status of patients in a critical care unit. Routine nursing monitoring and assessment of these patients and their x-rays contribute to the patient's successful outcome. This article discusses a systematic nursing approach to evaluating portable anterior-posterior (AP) chest x-rays. When a chest x-ray is taken in the critical care unit, as it is for many ICU patients, the nurse is in a unique position to assess the patient and implement emergency measures if x-ray results show incorrect placement of the endotracheal tube or any other lines.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kelly-Heidenthal
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'Connor
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D010362:Patients' Rooms; D011187:Posture; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic