Remember these great tips if you want to increase costs and upset your radiology colleagues.
- A patient cannot be improving until confirmed by x-rays
- The fact that patient management will not be altered is the prime indication for the x-ray
- An x-ray is great for showing what you already know
- Never forget how useful it is to make the obvious visible
- When there is nothing else that can be done, always repeat the x-ray
- Never indicate the previous examination, so that the patient accumulates a nice collection of duplicate radiographs
- Always repeat a negative x-ray daily, until something turns up or the patient recovers
- Never let a clinical examination preclude an x-ray
- Always address radiographers as “nurse”
- Remember that the x-ray can always be used to show the patient that something is being done
- A doubtful x-ray always supports doubtful clinical findings
- Never be deterred by the cost of an examination in any circumstances, no matter how expensive it might be
- Remember, concealing most of the clinical details always makes the radiologist’s life more interesting
- Always plan a series of investigations so that each interferes with the other
- When you discover a compound fracture, an x-ray can always be used to support your clinical impression
- Amputations can also be confirmed radiologically
- A CT scan can show anything
- A repeat CT scan can show even more
- Never disclose what you expect the x-ray to show
- Never ask the patient if they have had the same examination done in the recent past
- Never request routine pre-op x-rays during working hours when they can be done just as well during the night
- Ensure death does not prevent the very last portable chest x-ray
- Any injury, however trivial, must be x-rayed immediately, preferably as part of the full skeletal survey
- Never, under any circumstance, alert the radiographer if the patient is infectious
- Make sure the patient is soiled before sending to x-ray and they will come back nice and clean
– Unknown source
