Docs Tag: x-ray
Bone Age Test
What is a Bone Age Test?
A Bone Age Test is used to see how your body is growing by looking at your bones in your hand and wrist. To look at the bones in your hand and wrist, an X-Ray is used to take the pictures.
As you grow, your bones grow. Sometimes your bones can grow fast and sometimes they grow slow. The Bone Age gives the doctors information about how fast or slow your bones are growing.
The doctors can even predict how tall you may be when you are an adult by using the information from the Bone age test and how tall you are right now.
Why do I need to have a Bone Age Test?
You are having a bone age test because the doctor needs to check how your bones are growing.
What does a Bone Age machine look like?
An X-Ray machine is used for the Bone Age test. The X-Ray machine is a big
camera. Some X-Ray  machines are portable, that means that they can be
moved and even brought to your room to take the picture. There are special flat square boxes that keep the pictures, just like in a camera. The box is used to help take the pictures with the X-Ray machine. Your left hand and wrist is placed on top of the box. The X-ray machine will then be placed over top of your hand with a light that will shine on your hand. The X-ray machine will never touch you so you should not feel anything.  Only one picture will need to be taken and then you are all done.  Once the picture has been taken, the picture is shown to the radiologist. He is a special doctor who looks at X-Ray pictures.
What happens when I have a Bone Age Test?
A porter will come to bring you to the special room to have the X-Ray. A technologist (the person who will take the pictures) will greet you and explain what will happen. Sometimes the technologist will come to your room with an X-Ray machine on wheels and take the pictures there. The technologist may give you a gown to wear. This looks like a backward housecoat. You may already be wearing one. The X-Ray room is usually a little dark; this helps when the technologist takes the pictures.
The technologists will put on special lead vests that are called aprons. They will also put smaller lead blankets over the parts of your body that will not be in the picture. These blankets sometimes can feel a little heavy. The lead blankets and vests are used to help keep the X-Rays only on the body parts that the doctors want pictures of.
Someone like your mom or dad can stay in the room with you; they will also have to wear a lead vest. The technologist will tell you where to put your hand so that they can get the best picture. The technologist will then move the X-Ray tube over the part of your hand and wrist where they are taking the picture. You will see a light shining on your hand. The technologist will then ask you to stay very still and not move while they go behind a window to press a button to take the picture.
If you are moving when the picture is being taken, the picture will be blurry and they will have to take more pictures. When the picture is done, the technologist takes the film and the lead blankets away. The test is very fast. It only takes a few minutes and then you can go back to your room.
What will the Bone Age Test feel like?
- The X-Ray will not hurt
- You cannot see, feel or hear the special rays that come from the X-Ray machine. They are invisible. You might hear noises coming from the machine when it is taking the pictures. You will also see a light shining on your hand
- Sometimes the special flat square box that stores the pictures can feel a little cold when you touch it
- The lead blankets that they put on you can feel a little heavy
- Remember to stay still like a statue so they can get a clear picture
Preparing for the test
There is no preparation for a bone age test. When it is time for the test, remember to relax and stay very still so the picture will be clear. The technologist will remind you to sit very still during the picture.
Remember
If you have any questions about the test, always ask!
This content has been reviewed and approved by health care team members at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. All content is for educational purposes only. For further information, please speak with your health care team.
X-Ray
What is an X-Ray?
An X-Ray is a way doctors are able to take a look inside your body.  Here are just a few of the body parts that an X-Ray can take pictures of: your bones, teeth, lungs and abdomen (stomach area). The X-Ray uses a special box to take the pictures; the pictures that are taken are called radiographs.
Why do I need to have an X-Ray?
You are having an X-Ray because the doctor needs to see pictures of body parts that are inside your body.
What does an X-Ray machine look like?
An X-Ray machine is a big camera.  Some X-Ray machines are portable, that means that they can be moved and even be brought to your room to take the picture.  There are special flat square boxes that store the picture, just like in a camera. The box is used to help take the pictures with the X-Ray. Depending on what body part is being looked at, the box is placed behind or beside the body part. Once the pictures have been taken, the pictures are shown to the radiologist. He is a special doctor who looks at the X-Ray pictures.
What happens when I have an X-Ray?
A porter will come to bring you to the special room to have the X-Ray. A technologist (the person who will take the pictures) will greet you and explain what will happen. Sometimes the technologist will come to your room with a portable X-Ray machine and take the pictures there.
The technologist will give you a gown to wear. This looks like a backward housecoat. You may already be wearing one. The X-Ray room is usually a little dark; this helps when the pictures are being taken.
Depending on what body part they are taking a picture of, you may be asked to lie down on a bed, sit on a bed or stand up. Sometimes if they stay with you for the x-rays, the technologists will put on special lead vests that are called aprons. They will also put smaller lead blankets over the parts of your body that will not be in the picture.  These blankets sometimes can feel a little heavy. The lead blankets and vests are used to help keep the X-Rays only on the body parts that the doctors want pictures of.
Someone like your mom or dad can sometimes stay in the room with you; they will also have to wear a lead vest. The technologist will tell you how to sit or lie down so that they can get the best picture of your body part. They will then put the special box behind or beside the body part. The technologist will then move the X-Ray tube over the part of your body where they will take the picture. A light will shine on your body. The machine may come close to your body, but it will never touch you. You also may here small noises like a humming or clicking coming from the X-ray machine.
The technologist will ask you to stay very still and not move while they go behind a window to press a button to take the picture. Do your best to stay still like a statue while the pictures are being taken. If you are moving when the picture is being taken, the picture will be blurry and they will have to take more pictures. When all the pictures are done, the technologist will take the box and the lead blankets away. The test is very fast. It only takes a few minutes and then you can go back to your room.
What will the X-Ray feel like?
The X-Ray will not hurt. You cannot see, feel or hear the X-Rays. But, you might hear some noises coming from the machine when the pictures are being taken and you will see the light on the machine. Sometimes the special flat square box can feel a little cold when it is beside you. The lead blankets that they put on you can feel a little heavy.
Remember to lie still so they can get a clear picture.
Preparing for the test
Your nurse will give you the information you need to help you get ready to have your X-Ray. Sometimes you may have to do nothing to get ready.
For more information on each x-ray please click on the buttons below.
VCUG
What is a VCUG?
VCUG is the short form for Voiding Cystourethrogram. A VCUG is a test that takes X-Ray pictures of your bladder, and the tubes that connect your bladder and your kidneys (ureters and urethra).
This test is called a Voiding Cystourethrogram because voiding means peeing,
Cysto means bladder, Urethr means the tubes connected to your bladder (urethra and ureters), and Gram means recording what is shown (taking a picture). Altogether, that means that X-Rays are taken to show how your pee moves through the tubes that are connected to your bladder and kidney.
Why do I need to have a VCUG?
The doctor needs to look inside your body to see how your bladder, kidneys, ureters and urethra is working. An X-Ray is used to take the pictures.  You may have been getting infections, so the doctor needs to find out what is happening with your bladder.
What does a VCUG look like?
When you go to have a VCUG, you will see a special bed where you will be lying down.  There will be an X-Ray machine and a TV screen. The TV screen lets the x-ray technologist, doctors, and nurses see how your bladder and ureters are working.
There will be a tall pole that has a bottle with clear fluid in it, this fluid is called contrast. Contrast is like a highlighter, it highlights areas of your body to make them bright and stand out so that the doctors can see everything really clear on the pictures.
A catheter is used, which is a small thin bendy tube. This is used to put the contrast into your bladder.
What happens when I have a VCUG?
If you are staying in the hospital a porter will come to bring you to the special room to have the VCUG. Â If you are coming from home, you and your family will go to the special room to have a VCUG. Â A nurse or x-ray technologist will greet you and explain what will happen.
The nurse or x-ray technologist will give you a gown to wear, this looks like a backward housecoat, you may already be wearing one. You will be asked to take off your underwear so that it does not get wet.  The nurse or x-ray technologist will help you to get up on the bed.  The nurse or x-ray technologist will ask you to bend your legs and bring your feet up close to your body like frog legs.
The nurse or x-ray technologist will put a blanket over your legs to keep you warm and make sure you are covered. The nurse or x-ray technologist will then clean your private area between your legs with a special soap to make it very clean. This may feel wet and very cold.
The nurse or x-ray technologist will then gently slide a catheter (a small thin tube) into your bladder. The tube will be taped with soft tape to the side of your leg to help keep it in place so it will not fall out. When the catheter is going in, it may feel a little funny, you may feel a pinch or it may hurt a little.  This is the hardest part, once the catheter is in your bladder the test can start.
Remember to take in deep breaths; this will help to relax you.  When you are relaxed, your whole body is relaxed including all your body parts. If your body is relaxed, the small tube will slide into your bladder easier.
There will be a pole with a bottle hanging from it close to the bed. The bottle has liquid in it called contrast.  The contrast highlights the areas that the doctors need to look at, it makes the areas show up bright in the pictures. The contrast will move through the tube and fill your bladder. If you are able to see the TV, you will be able to see your bladder filling up.
Once your bladder is full, you may feel like you have to go pee, but it is very important to hold it, until the nurse or x-ray technologist tells you that it is time to pee. If you are having a hard time holding your pee, let the staff person know. The nurse or x-ray technologist will then tell you to pee on the bed. This may seem funny, but this is a special bed that you are allowed to pee on. When you start to pee, the X-Ray will start taking pictures of your bladder to see how it is working.
While the pictures are being taken, the lights in the room will be turned down. This will make the pictures clear. You may also hear a noise like a hum from the machine taking the pictures. When the pictures are being taken, it is important to remember to lay still.  This will help to make the pictures clear and not fuzzy.
Once all the pictures have been taken, the x-ray technologist will remove the small tube and give you towels for you to clean up, and you will be able to go back to your room if you are staying in the hospital or go home. The next few times you pee after the test, you may feel a little sore, but it will go away soon.
What will the VCUG feel like?
? When the nurse or x-ray technologist cleans your private area between your legs with a special soap to make it very clean, it may feel wet and very cold
? When the nurse or x-ray technologist gently slides the catheter (a small thin tube) into your bladder it may feel a little funny, you may feel a pinch or it may hurt a little. This is the hardest part, once that is over the test can start
? When the contrast starts going into your bladder you may feel like you have to pee, but it is very important to hold it, until the nurse or x-ray technologist tells you that it is time to pee. If you are having a hard time holding your pee, let the nurse or x-ray technologist know
? When the nurse or x-ray technologist tells you to pee on the bed, it may feel warm and a little sticky from the contrast that was put into your bladder.
Preparing for the test
Your nurse will give you the information you need to help you get ready to have your VCUG. Your mom or dad can go into the room with you.
When it is time for the test, remember to relax and take deep breaths.
Remember
If you have any questions about the test, always ask!
This content has been reviewed and approved by health care team members at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. All content is for educational purposes only. For further information, please speak with your health care team.