EMERGENCY CARDIAC AND THORACIC RADIOLOGY

In many cases, it may be difficult to distinguish whether cardiac or pulmonary disease or both are present in a critically ill small animal patient. Although thoracic radiographs should never be used in place of a careful and thorough physical examination, they are a useful tool in helping to determine the nature and severity of cardiac and pulmonary disease. Careful examination of thoracic radiographs can reveal the size and shape of cardiovascular structures, abnormalities of the pulmonary parenchyma and pleural space, mediastinal masses or hemorrhage, and fractures or disruption of the structures that form the thoracic cage. Thoracic radiographs should always be performed once a patient is stable, as there are inherent risks of stress and manipulation for proper positioning that can push a patient with cardiopulmonary disease over the edge, and thus be life-threatening. Patient Positioning Standard views for thoracic radiographs are lateral, ventrodorsal (VD), dorsoventral (DV) views taken at full inspiration for the best evaluation of the cardiovascular system and pulmonary parenchyma. The standard view for most accurate positioning of the heart is the dorsoventral (DV view), to ensure that the cardiac apex is in its normal anatomic position. Traditionally, changes i