Nursing assessment of portable AP chest x-rays

Daily portable chest x-rays are often used to monitor the status of patients in a critical care unit. Routine nursing monitoring and assessment of these patients and their x-rays contribute to the patient's successful outcome. This article discusses a systematic nursing approach to evaluating portable anterior-posterior (AP) chest x-rays. When a chest x-ray is taken in the critical care unit, as it is for many ICU patients, the nurse is in a unique position to assess the patient and implement emergency measures if x-ray results show incorrect placement of the endotracheal tube or any other lines.