1848 Daimler Rd. Rockford, IL | Phone: 815.398.9100 | Fax: 815.986.6770

X-Ray

xrayOur x-ray system utilizes direct radiography (DR) that provides a film-less environment. This allows us to burn images to CD for doctor or patient use. We also utilize the picture archiving communication system (PACS) that allows us to obtain x-rays from local hospitals using PACS. Doctors can send emails within PACS to collaborate with each other over long distances.

What is a Routine X-Ray?

X-ray uses electromagnetic radiation to make images of your bones, teeth and internal organs. Simply put, X-rays allow doctors to take pictures of the inside of your body. One of the oldest forms of medical imaging, X-ray is a simple, painless medical test that can help your doctor provide you with appropriate treatment, even in emergency situations. It’s a fast, easy and safe way for your doctor to view and assess conditions ranging from broken bones to cancer.

What are the Benefits vs. Risks of an X-Ray?

Benefits

  • X-ray imaging is useful to diagnose bone injury and disease, such as fractures, bone infections, arthritis, and cancer.
  • Because X-ray imaging is so fast and easy, it is particularly useful in emergency diagnosis and treatment.
  • X-rays are a type of invisible electromagnetic radiation and create no sensation when they pass through the body. Modern X-ray techniques use only a fraction of the x-ray dose required in the early days of radiology.
  • Special care is taken during X-ray examinations to ensure maximum safety for the patient by shielding the abdomen and pelvis with a lead apron, with the exception of those examinations in which the abdomen and pelvis are being imaged.

Risks

  • Women should always inform their doctor or technologist if there is any possibility that they are pregnant.
  • During a procedure, a patient is exposed to a small amount of radiation. This is comparable to the amount of radiation we are all exposed to each year from sources such as the ultraviolet rays from the sun and the traces of uranium found in the soil.

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