General information
Other names
| Where It's Done | Who Does It | How Long It Takes | Discomfort/Pain |
| Hospital, commercial X-ray facility, or doctor's office. | X-ray technician. | Minutes. | Generally none. |
| Results Ready When | Special Equipment | Risks/Complications | Average Cost |
| A few hours. | X-ray machine (portable or stationary). | Risks associated with radiation, particularly during pregnancy. | $$ |
Skull and spinal films, radiography, or roentgenography.
Purpose- To check quickly for injuries or abnormalities after trauma, especially of the cervical (upper) spine.
- To detect skull fracture and bone abnormalities.
X-rays (electromagnetic energy emitted by an X-ray tube) are absorbed differently by various body tissue. When the tissue is exposed using special photographic film, various types of tissue show up as shadows, as dark gray areas, or as white opaque areas.
Preparation- For a skull X-ray, remove all hair accessories and jewelry from your head. For a spinal X-ray, remove all clothing and jewelry and wear a hospital gown.
- For a spinal X-ray, pin up hair if it is long so that no locks hang over the chest or shoulders.
- The technician positions you against the X-ray machine and tells you to remain still while X-rays are taken.
- For the skull, X-rays are usually taken from the front, side, and back. Depending on the suspected problem, additional X-rays may be taken at different angles.
- You get dressed and are free to leave if testing is elective.
- The film is processed in a developing machine, and X-ray pictures are produced.
- Metal jewelry may obstruct the view.
- Movement during the test may distort the image.
The doctor studies the X-ray pictures for abnormalities in the skull and spinal column.
Advantages- It's simple, quick, and noninvasive.
- It's relatively inexpensive.
- It's also highly informative and widely available.
- It involves a small amount of radiation exposure.
- It often detects the existence of an abnormality but does not establish a specific diagnosis.
- More definitive imaging studies, including CT scans or MRI.
