When positioning a patient for a PA chest, which detector chambers would you activate if the patient has had their left lung removed?

In a PA (posteroanterior) chest radiograph, it is essential to use the appropriate detector chambers to ensure optimal image quality and exposure. When a patient has had their left lung removed, they will have a significant alteration in the anatomy that can affect the x-ray exposure.

Activating the right cell only is the correct approach in this scenario. This is because the remaining lung (the right lung) is where the x-ray beam will primarily pass through, and activating the right detector cell will ensure that the system compensates for adequate exposure in that area. With the left lung absent, using the left cell would not be applicable, as there is no lung tissue or air to create a useful diagnostic image in that region.

By selecting only the right chamber, you are effectively targeting the area that still contains lung structure and air, ensuring you obtain a clear and diagnostically valuable image of the remaining lung. This understanding of detector cell selection is critical for radiologic technologists to ensure that they provide the highest quality images while minimizing patient exposure to radiation.