O que acontece quando o paciente vai para casa?

An X-ray showing the lower arm, wrist, and hand.

X-rays are pictures of the inside of your body. An X-ray machine makes these pictures using waves of energy known as radiation. Your health care provider may use X-rays to look for problems like broken bones, joint problems, lung infections, and causes of stomach pain.

Tell a health care provider about:

Any allergies you have.
All medicines you take. These include vitamins, herbs, eye drops, and creams.
Any surgeries you've had.
Any medical conditions you have.
Any medical devices you have in your body.
Whether you're pregnant or may be pregnant. If so, talk to your OB/GYN before getting an X-ray. You'll need to take some safety measures, like placing a special apron over your belly to protect the baby.

What are the benefits?

X-rays are very helpful in finding health problems. Here are some of the benefits of X-rays:

They're quick and simple, and they don't cause pain.
They don't involve any surgery or anesthesia.
They're useful in an emergency when the problem needs to be found quickly.
They help get a correct diagnosis of many types of injuries and conditions.
They usually don't cause side effects.
The amount of radiation is very small.
The radiation doesn't stay in your body after the X-ray is done.

What are the risks?

In general, X-rays are safe for teens. But, getting too much radiation over a lifetime can raise the risk of cancer. This can happen if you have a lot of X-rays throughout your life. The risk from a single X-ray test is small.

Children and teens are more sensitive to radiation than adults. If the X-ray machine is not adjusted for their smaller size, young people may receive more radiation. Also, because young people can expect to live longer than adults, there's more time for any radiation to have long-term effects. Before getting an X-ray, ask your provider:

If the X-ray is needed to diagnose your condition.
If the X-ray machine is made for teens.
If the X-ray machine setting can be made lower for your age and size.
If things will be used to protect other parts of your body from radiation.

What happens before the procedure?

You may need to take off glasses, jewelry, and any other things made of metal.
You'll likely be asked to take off your clothes on the part of your body that needs the X-ray. If needed, you'll be given a hospital gown to wear.
A special shield or an apron made of lead may be placed over certain parts of your body. This will stop radiation from reaching those parts.

What happens during the procedure?

You'll lie on a table or stand up. This depends on which part of your body needs the X-ray.
You'll be asked to stay as still as you can during the test. This helps get the best pictures.
The X-ray machine will send out beams of radiation pointed at the area of your body that needs to be checked. Several pictures may be taken at different angles.
The X-ray pictures will be printed on a sheet of film or saved on a computer.

These steps may vary. Ask what you can expect.

What can I expect after the procedure?

A health care provider showing a teen an X-ray on a computer tablet.

You'll be able to return to your normal activities.
The X-ray pictures will be sent to a provider who's an expert in reading X-rays. Your provider may also show you the X-rays and explain what they show.