Abdominal X-Ray: The Cases That Actually Matter
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Abdominal X-rays have limited utility. That is true. CT has replaced them for most diagnostic questions.
But they are still ordered. A lot. And when they are ordered, it is usually because someone is sick and the clinical team needs an answer fast. Free air after a perforation. A sigmoid volvulus. A bowel obstruction. A retained foreign body.
These are the diagnoses you must not miss — and they are precisely what this course covers.
The introductory video teaches you why AXR still matters, when it is genuinely useful, and how to look at one systematically. Then 21 curated cases walk you through the scenarios you will encounter on call. No filler. No repetition for its own sake.
Who This Course Is For
R1-R2 radiology residents starting on-call preparation. Emergency medicine trainees who request and review plain films. Any learner who wants to handle the AXR cases that come through on a busy overnight.
Pathologies include:
Get a taste for some of the pathologies covered in this course.
Acute Abdominal Emergencies
- ●Including free intraperitoneal gas, small and large bowel obstruction, and sigmoid volvulus
Foreign Bodies & Calcifications
- ●Including retained surgical sponges and clinically significant calcifications
What You'll Learn
- 1Identify free intraperitoneal gas on a supine and erect abdominal film.
- 2Differentiate small from large bowel obstruction using calibre, haustral pattern, and gas distribution.
- 3Recognise the imaging features of pathologies like sigmoid volvulus and caecal volvulus.
- 4Know when an abdominal X-ray adds value — and when to push straight to CT.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to start Abdominal X-Ray?
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Navigating Radiology. Pinnacle Conference, LLC is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.