Common Mistakes in Veterinary Radiography

Veterinarians are increasingly relying on technological equipment to diagnose the presence of disease in animals. State-of-the-art radiographic (X-ray) equipment is now being used to perform complex procedures that can to help save the life of a cherished pet. However, even skilled technicians and radiologists can sometimes make mistakes that can lead to poor image quality or an inaccurate diagnosis.

  1. Position Errors

    • Improper positioning due to a veterinary radiologist's inability to effectively restrain an animal during X-ray procedures can decrease the quality of a radiograph, thereby increasing the likelihood of an inaccurate diagnosis. According to The Merck Veterinary Manual, sedation or a short-acting anesthesia is often necessary in order to be able to accurately manipulate the animal into an optimal position for completing the procedure. In instances where manual restraint is the only option, which can sometimes be the case when dealing with small animals, such as guinea pigs, exposure time can potentially be decreased to have the procedure completed as quickly as possible.

    Exposure Errors

    • In addition to necessitating the need to repeat the tests, under- or over-development of the radiographic images can reduce its quality, making it harder to interpret and distinguish between internal lesions in the animals or hazy pictures. According to the British Veterinary Association's website, a study conducted in 2000 to assess the quality of radiographic images and equipment in 44 veterinary clinics in Great Britain revealed a tendency to produce films that were too dark due to poor exposure factors. Operator error and inadequate technique were found to be the cause of the exposure errors.

    Interpretation Errors

    • Inexperience is usually the main reason behind the misinterpretation of radiographic images, according to the World Small Animal Veterinary Association World Congress Proceedings website. Errors can arise when studies are not completed fully, which can result either in the failure to detect abnormalities or the rendering of a false positive diagnosis. To reduce this type of mistake, all radiographic images should be compared with the expected normal appearance of whatever organs are being reviewed. And the current radiographic images should always be weighed more heavily than the patient's medical history when interpreting the presence of disease.