ARRT Radiography Practice Test
ARRT Thorax & Abdomen Procedures Practice Questions
Thorax & Abdomen Procedures makes up 5 of every 50 questions on a Tigertest ARRT practice test. Here are 10 of the 20 questions on it, each with the answer and the reason.
Updated by the Tigertest team. Based on the ARRT Radiography Examination Content Specifications. Original questions; 50 per test, weighted like the real exam. Not affiliated with ARRT.
1. Why is a PA chest done at a 72-inch SID?
- A.To show the ribs below the diaphragm
- B.To limit heart magnification
- C.To raise image contrast
- D.To lower the kVp
Answer: B. The longer SID reduces magnification of the heart and sharpens detail; the PA position also places the heart close to the receptor.
2. On a PA chest, why are the shoulders rolled forward?
- A.To open the SC joints
- B.To flatten the diaphragm
- C.To raise the clavicles
- D.To clear the scapulae
Answer: D. Rolling the shoulders forward rotates the scapulae laterally, clearing them from the lung fields.
3. A good inspiration on a PA chest shows at least how many posterior ribs above the diaphragm?
- A.10
- B.14
- C.6
- D.8
Answer: A. Full inspiration on the second breath should show at least 10 posterior ribs above the diaphragm. Fewer suggests a poor breath.
4. How is rotation judged on a PA chest?
- A.Ten ribs above the diaphragm
- B.Scapulae off the lungs
- C.SC joints equal from the spine
- D.Clavicles lying horizontal
Answer: C. The medial ends of the clavicles should be the same distance from the spinous processes; unequal distances mean rotation.
5. Why is the left lateral chest the routine lateral?
- A.It lowers patient dose
- B.It shows air-fluid levels
- C.Less heart magnification
- D.It shows the right lung better
Answer: C. With the left side against the receptor the heart is less magnified. Other positions are used only when the right side is of interest.
6. To show a small pleural effusion in the right chest, which decubitus position is used?
- A.Right lateral decubitus
- B.Dorsal decubitus
- C.Ventral decubitus
- D.Left lateral decubitus
Answer: A. Fluid settles to the dependent side, so the affected right side goes down. For free air in the pleura, the affected side goes up.
7. A suspected left pneumothorax cannot be shown upright. Which decubitus position is used?
- A.Ventral decubitus prone
- B.Left lateral decubitus
- C.Dorsal decubitus
- D.Right lateral decubitus
Answer: D. Air rises, so the affected left side goes up: the patient lies on the right side. A pneumothorax is also easier to see on expiration.
8. Which projection shows the lung apices free of the clavicles?
- A.Ventral decubitus
- B.AP lordotic
- C.PA oblique
- D.Lateral decubitus
Answer: B. In the AP lordotic the patient leans back so the clavicles project above the apices, which are then seen clearly.
9. Ribs above the diaphragm are imaged on:
- A.A Valsalva maneuver
- B.Full inspiration
- C.Full expiration
- D.Quiet breathing
Answer: B. Inspiration lowers the diaphragm to show the upper ribs. Ribs below the diaphragm are imaged on expiration, usually supine.
10. Why is the sternum imaged in a slight RAO position?
- A.To lower breast dose
- B.To show the xiphoid only
- C.To show the SC joints
- D.To use the heart as background
Answer: D. A 15 to 20 degree RAO projects the sternum over the uniform heart shadow, which gives a better background than the spine.
Practice all 20 thorax & abdomen procedures questions, and the rest of the 200-question bank, in the free ARRT training sets. Questions you miss come back until you have mastered them.
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