 The patient lies on the table, or bed, although the board at the end is not a head rest but a foot rest. |
 The table can be tilted, depending on what part of the body is being x-rayed. That's where the foot rest comes in handy. There are also side rails which you can hold. |
As with the CT scanning process, the radiographer retires to a viewing room. |
The printed x-ray films are taken to the reporting room for analysis by the medical specialist who "reports on the film". Comparisons can be made with films made previously of the same area of the body. |
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The specialist's report is written up
in a letter to the referring doctor and included with the
films which can either be collected by the patient or
sent by courier to your doctor. The written report can
also be faxed or sent by e-mail direct to the referring
doctor. Doctors almost expect the patient to have opened the envelope, looked at the films, and read the report, before delivering the package to the referring doctor. Most specialists who review the film will indicate to the patient if something unusual has been discovered, they are unlikely to push the patient out the door to wait twelve or twenty-four hours until they hear the news from their referring doctor. |
