Lesson 1Integrating clinical context: risk factors, timing, pleuritic pain, oxygenation, biomarkers (D-dimer, troponin) and how they change diagnostic weightingThis bit shows how to mix scan results with patient details for breathing trouble, like risks, when symptoms started, chest pain on breathing, oxygen levels, and blood tests like D-dimer and troponin to narrow down what's wrong.
Clinical risk factors for pulmonary embolismTiming of symptoms and disease evolutionPleuritic pain and chest wall tenderness cluesOxygenation, hemodynamics, and imaging choiceBiomarkers and imaging-based risk weightingLesson 2Pitfalls and mimics: motion artifacts, beam-hardening, dependent atelectasis, and contrast timing errorsHere we look at common traps and look-alikes in scans for breathing issues, like movement blur, beam issues, lung collapse from lying down, and wrong contrast timing, plus ways to spot and fix them to avoid wrong calls.
Recognizing motion and breathing artifactsBeam-hardening and streak artifact mimicsDependent atelectasis versus true consolidationContrast timing errors in CT angiographyChecklist approach to reduce interpretation errorsLesson 3Differential reasoning using signs: PE vs pneumonia vs pulmonary edema vs COPD exacerbationThis explains how to tell apart lung clot, lung infection, heart fluid in lungs, and COPD flare-up from scan patterns, using main signs to make a smart list of likely causes that fits the patient's story.
Radiographic patterns of acute pulmonary embolismLobar and bronchopneumonia imaging distinctionsCardiogenic pulmonary edema hallmark signsCOPD exacerbation versus acute infection signsAlgorithmic imaging approach to acute dyspneaLesson 4Structured reporting for acute dyspnea: describing location, size, density, margins, distribution, and associated findingsThis covers how to write clear chest scan reports for breathing trouble, focusing on where things are, how big, density, edges, spread, and extra signs to make reports useful and easy to follow for treatment.
Standardized description of lesion locationReporting lesion size and volumetric assessmentDensity, attenuation, and enhancement patternsMargins, interfaces, and silhouette descriptionDocumenting distribution and ancillary findingsLesson 5Modalities selection: indications and strengths of chest X-ray vs CT pulmonary angiographyThis compares chest X-ray and CT lung vessel scan for breathing issues, listing when to use each, good points, limits, radiation, and contrast risks to pick the right one for the patient.
Initial role of chest X-ray in dyspnea workupIndications for CT pulmonary angiographyContraindications and risk–benefit balancingRadiation dose and contrast nephrotoxicityAlternative imaging when CTPA is unsuitableLesson 6Semiologic meaning of chest signs: acute vs chronic, alveolar vs interstitial, cardiogenic vs noncardiogenic pulmonary edemaThis makes clear what main chest scan signs mean, spotting new from old changes, air sac from tissue patterns, and heart from non-heart lung fluid using spread, background, and other clues.
Acute versus chronic parenchymal changesAlveolar consolidation versus interstitial patternCardiogenic versus noncardiogenic edema signsRole of distribution and symmetry in patternsAncillary signs refining semiologic interpretationLesson 7Systematic chest X-ray interpretation: zones, lines, silhouettes, and cardiothoracic ratioThis gives a step-by-step way to read chest X-rays for breathless patients, splitting into areas, checking lines and tubes, using shadow signs, and sizing heart and chest middle.
Quality checks: rotation, inspiration, exposureLung zones and systematic search patternEvaluation of lines, tubes, and devicesSilhouette sign and mediastinal contoursCardiothoracic ratio and heart size limitsLesson 8Pulmonary embolism signs on CT: filling defects, right ventricular strain, pulmonary infarct patterns, mosaic perfusionThis focuses on CT signs of lung clots in breathing trouble, like vessel blocks, right heart stress, dead lung patches, and patchy blood flow, and how they help judge risk.
Central and segmental filling defect patternsSubsegmental emboli and technical limitationsCT markers of right ventricular strainPulmonary infarct and wedge-shaped opacitiesMosaic perfusion and differential diagnosesLesson 9Key chest imaging signs: pneumothorax, consolidation, air bronchogram, ground-glass opacity, interstitial markings, Kerley B linesThis goes over main chest scan signs for breathing issues, like air in chest space, solid lung areas, air in solid tubes, hazy glass look, tissue lines, and small fluid lines, with what they mean for patients.
Radiographic and CT signs of pneumothoraxConsolidation and air bronchogram correlationGround-glass opacity: causes and patternsInterstitial markings and reticular patternsKerley B lines and pulmonary venous congestionLesson 10Systematic chest CT interpretation: lung windows, mediastinal windows, vascular phases, and protocol selectionThis lays out a proper way to read chest CT for breathing trouble, using lung views, chest middle views, vessel stages, custom plans, and checking airways, lung tissue, lining, and middle structures.
Lung window assessment of parenchymal diseaseMediastinal windows for nodes and massesVascular phases in CT pulmonary angiographyProtocol selection in unstable dyspneic patientsStructured checklist for chest CT review
