181982937-Clark-s-Pocket-Handbook-For-Radiographers-pdf (1)

PREFACE
This text is an accompaniment to the twelfth edition of Clark’s Positioning
in Radiography, a comprehensive bench-top guide to radiographic technique
and positioning. The authors considered that it is important for radiographers
and students to have access to an additional text available in a ‘pocket’
format which is easily transportable and convenient to use during everyday
radiographic practice.
While it has been impossible to include all the radiographic projections
from the twelfth edition due to size restrictions, the authors have included
what they consider to be the most commonly used projections. Readers are
advised to consult the twelfth edition of Clark’s Positioning in Radiography
if they seek guidance in undertaking any projections that have not been
included within this book.
The authors have also included a range of additional information which
is new to this text. This includes a protocol for evaluating images (the
‘10-point plan’) and a range of general advice for undertaking procedures
in a professional and efficient manner. The book also includes basic
information in relation to some non-imaging diagnostic tests, common
medical terminology and abbreviations. This is designed to help readers gain
a better understanding of the diagnostic requirements and role of particular
imaging procedures from the information presented in X-ray requests.
The various projections described in this book have been produced
mainly from the twelfth edition of Clark’s Positioning in Radiography. There
have been some advances in technology which have changed the use of
imaging equipment and terminology. This has been updated in the text of
this edition but some of the images of radiographic positioning may not
always reflect this. The main changes are outlined below.
The term ‘focus film distance (FFD)’ is now inappropriate due to the
replacement of film technology with digital image acquisition technology.
The term ‘film’ or ‘film cassette’ has been replaced with ‘image receptor’
or ‘receptor’. The term ‘focus film distance (FFD)’ has been replaced with
‘focus receptor distance (FRD)’. Unless otherwise stated the standard FRD
for all examinations described is 110 cm.
When using film-based technology it was common practice to undertake
two or more extremity examinations on one film/cassette, which was split
into sections by the radiographer. If the radiographer is using computed
radiography (CR) technology to acquire images, the advice of manufacturers
is to undertake one image at a time in the middle of the CR cassette. Failure
to do this may result in failure of the image-processing software to correctly
identify the region of interest and the production of a sub-optimal image.