On-site digital X-ray in West Palm Beach

Imaging in the same visit

Our office offers on-site digital radiography, so you can get the imaging you need without a separate trip to an imaging center. Digital X-rays deliver fast, accurate results with less radiation than conventional film, and images are available to your physician immediately.

What digital X-ray helps us find

• Lung infections such as pneumonia (see infectious disease care)
• Tuberculosis
• An enlarged heart
• Fluid in or around the lungs

Common reasons for a chest X-ray

• A cough that won’t go away
• Fever with cough or difficulty breathing
• Shortness of breath or chest pain
• Checking whether pneumonia has cleared
• Evaluation after a positive tuberculosis skin or blood test
• Monitoring known lung or heart conditions

Digital X-ray vs. traditional film

Digital radiography captures images electronically instead of on film. Images appear on screen within moments, can be enlarged and adjusted to see detail, and are stored electronically so they can be compared with future studies and shared with your other physicians.

Is an X-ray safe?

A chest X-ray uses a very small dose of radiation: about 0.1 mSv, roughly the same as 10 days of the natural background radiation everyone is exposed to in daily life. No radiation stays in your body after the exam. Let us know beforehand if you are or might be pregnant.

The process is quick: you remove jewelry and other metal objects and stand against the image plate for the views your physician needs (a chest X-ray typically uses two). Most exams are completed within about 15 minutes.

What happens next

Your physician reviews the images with you and explains what they show. X-rays have limits (they cannot detect very small cancers or blood clots in the lungs, for example), so if more detail is needed, we will arrange additional imaging such as a CT scan at a local imaging center.

X-ray without the extra trip in downtown West Palm Beach

For patients from West Palm Beach and Palm Beach Island, having X-rays done in our Flagler Drive office means fewer appointments, less driving and faster answers. Your physician can review the images during the same visit and start treatment right away when it is needed.

Frequently asked questions

How much radiation is in a chest X-ray?

About 0.1 mSv, roughly the same as 10 days of natural background radiation, according to RadiologyInfo.org from the American College of Radiology and the Radiological Society of North America.

Do I need to prepare for an X-ray?

Usually not. You may be asked to remove jewelry and other metal objects. Tell us if you are or might be pregnant.

Will I get my results the same day?

Digital images are available immediately, so your physician can review them during your visit.