Abdominal X-ray: Why It Is Done
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Why It Is Done
An abdominal X-ray is done to:
- Look for a cause of pain in the belly or ongoing nausea and vomiting.
- Find a cause of pain in the lower back on either side of the spine (flank pain). An abdominal X-ray can show the size, shape, and position of the liver, spleen, and kidneys. Other tests (such as ultrasound, CT scan, or intravenous pyelography) may be used in addition to look for more specific problems.
- Find an object that has been swallowed or put into a body cavity.
- Confirm the proper position of tubes used by your doctor in your treatment, such as a tube to drain the stomach (nasogastric tube), a feeding tube in the stomach, a tube to drain the kidney (nephrostomy tube), a catheter used for dialysis, a shunt to drain fluid from the brain into the stomach (V-P shunt), or other drainage tubes or catheters.
| Last updated: | January 19, 2007 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Jan Nissl, RN, BS |
| Reviewed By: | Paul D. Traughber, MD - Radiology, Kenneth B. Sutherland, CD, BSc, MD, FRCPC - Diagnostic Radiology |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer |
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