Peritonitis chest x ray
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Peritonitis Main Page |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Shivani Chaparala M.B.B.S [2]
Overview
Chest X Ray
- An upright and supine plain films of the chest and abdomen should be performed in patients with abdominal pain to exclude free air under the diaphragm (most often on the right), which signals a bowel perforation and associated peritonitis.
- Free air is present in most cases of anterior gastric and duodenal perforation but is much less frequent with perforations of the small bowel and colon and is unusual with appendiceal perforation.
- Although the presence of free air is not mandatory with visceral perforation and that small amounts of free air are missed easily on plain films.
- The chest x-ray examination assists in identifying thoracic causes of the acute abdomen.