How To Take An Odontoid View X-Ray - Perfectly - Every Time!!!

[@bearcub4kids]

I was literally sitting in the ER today watching this on my phone 10 minutes before I got my patient. I tried this and it worked, I love you man.

[@positioningx-raysperfectly4733]

You’re so welcome. I’m glad it worked. I’m going to be making other videos if you want to check those out later. Take care and have a great day. Happy shooting. Jeff.

[@ofishial5962]

Why’re you literally sitting in the er and not know how to do this ?

[@positioningx-raysperfectly4733]

Hey, let’s not guess why that person is in the ER or not. Important thing is that they took the time to check out how to do these x-rays. I just completed a series of upper extremity and lower extremity x-rays. Upper extremities are all five fingers up to and including elbow in the lower extremities are all toes up to and including pelvis hip. I also plan on doing special views coming up.Thank you so much for watching my channel and I hope you come back again. Jeff.

[@bearcub4kids]

@@ofishial5962 Aw what a polite way to ask me that question! The answer is that I'm still in x-ray school, and because of this video I've been on an no-repeat odontoid streak at my clinical site to the point where seasoned techs there asked me what video I watched. The real question (assuming you are a radiologic technologist) is why are you watching a video that was created for the sole purpose of helping those who want to improve their odontoid x-ray if you "know how to do this"???? hmmm????

[@positioningx-raysperfectly4733]

Whoa whoa whoa, let’s be nice. My videos are for x-ray techs and non-x-ray techs. And everybody can learn something from somebody else if you give them enough time. I just happened to stumble on this technique of doing the bottom of the nose in the air whole album myself because maybe I and this is Drew was lazy or I had extra time to think how can I do this better. And I’m so happy that you are on a no repeat odontoid X-RAY journey. I think it’s awesome that CS and Texts come and ask you for your secret. I’m not bragging at all and I take no credit but I think that’s awesome to hear.

[@judithpaterson8246]

I am a preceptor at one of our hospitals in Alberta Canada and I am teaching our students this new method to help them out in trauma situations. Thank you very much!!!

[@positioningx-raysperfectly4733]

Wow, I’m extremely happy, humbled, and excited that you enjoyed my video enough to teach your students this new method. This is probably one of the best feedback comments that I’ve gotten on my channel. Thank you so much for watching. I’m in the process of trying to find new models for my videos and as soon as I do I’ll be posting. Take care and give my regards to your students. They’ve chosen a wonderful career. Jeff from California, drop Mike.lol

[@monicat4436]

Thanks for this video. Our repeat rate is down and I am going to submit a QC submission/ article on how that this method helped our department.

[@chrisfrost7945]

I think a easier way of putting it is you get the AML perpendicular and then center at the crease. I have yet to try it but I’m always looking at tips and tricks fellow techs have up their sleeve!

[@7rlalko]

AND SHOOT IN MOUTH RIGHT????? DONT WANT TO DO MORE THAN ONE VIEW.

[@chrisfrost7945]

@@7rlalko Yes. I've tried this method and it works every time.

[@7rlalko]

OK

[@bondkuang8601]

Good summary. AML then move down.

[@kerriejohn]

I've been working on my C-spine competency, but getting the odontoid (especially since patients are required to be masked) has been a challenge. I watched this video and got 3 out of 3 beautiful odontoids the next day using your tips. Thank you very much.

[@positioningx-raysperfectly4733]

Wow, so cool to hear that. I’m glad that this helps. Thanks for watching my videos and have a great day. Jeff.

[@jeffmaggie]

You’re very welcome. I had a lot of fun making this video and it’s I believe my most popular. Thanks for watching all my videos and have a great day. Jeff.

[@jeffmaggie]

Hi, thanks for leaving a comment. So after you’re finished getting all your angles for the head, and your central array is going through the bottom of the nose in the a.m. All you need to do from there is lower the tube vertically without changing the tube angle.and that’s when you want to come in at the corner of the mouth. Hope this helps. And thanks for watching my videos. Jeff.

[@patriciadinjian347]

What would be helpful, is to see you actually position a patient or model on a table with an Xray tube. I don't get what you are saying when you say center at crease of mouth. Where is the crease?

[@quiwords3949]

The corners of your lips

[@nancyseay3982]

Worked great on my first try! Thank you!!

[@ForeverDorian]

Next time I get a patient with a c collar I'll try this, thank you

[@shellysadventures2875]

do you have the patient open their mouth first and align the nose/eam or do you open their mouth after?

[@hyunjoolee3548]

Really great video. I appreciate for sharing your tip.

[@ashleymparutsa5793]

Please sir, would you mind doing a series for the skull/mandible, that would be great help; I struggle strongly on positioning both structures.

[@Kiwieman]

Yes! I needed this :)

[@hollhoot]

Hi! I really liked this tip. I am a mobile radiographer. I have elderly patients that cannot roll over to help with positioning. We perform our exams in the patients bed in their room. They often have roommates and close quarters as well as air and concave mattresses, etc.We have to get creative due to patient physical status and limited maneuvering capabilities. We perform most of our exams as if they are trauma exams. It is difficult to find any videos on how to deal with and/or give advice with these situations. We do not have a bucky or anything else to hold the imaging IR. We often rely on sheets and pillows for this. We perform a lot of lateral chest exams which is very tricky with our demographic. Can you come up with any tips for us for these primitive circumstances? Hospitals do a lot of bedside exams as well. I think putting a new radiographer into these circumstances would be very intimidating. I have doing mobile radiography for 7 years and it never gets easier. Thank you.

[@positioningx-raysperfectly4733]

It never gets easier because we get older ha ha. I’ve always wanted to be a mobile radiographer. It seems like it would be a lot of fun and very challenging. I’ll see you get to meet a lot of people. Sounds like you’re doing everything right. It is difficult to deal with patients who are elderly. And you need to be creative. Each exam is different, as you know. What I did when I was in a trauma hospital was slide the cassette between the bedsheet and the mattress that worked OK the other thing was you should be able to use the nose bottom and the EAM for positioning. A grid would help a lot, But you need more mass. Are used to bring with me a pad it was radio Lucent and I was able to roll the patient over and put the pad underneath to get a nice C-spine lateral. You’re right though, throwing a new grad into a situation like this where they have to think on their own quickly and fast and independently could be very intimidating. Thanks for leaving a comment and watching my videos. Jeff.

[@janetherrera6403]

Thank you, will try that!!!

[@gogodesu4305]

Great trick. Cant wait to try it. But Isn’t dropping the tube an extraneous step? Why not just have the CR already aimed at the open mouth and adjust the angle of the skull to AML?

[@jeffmaggie]

I always start with the angle going through the bottom of the nose and the EAM. And then from there, it’s just a simple adjustment of the tube downwards to the corner of the mouth. But this is only a suggestion. Hope it works which ever message you use. Thanks for leaving a comment, Jeff.

[@xadorkable]

I will try this next time!! Hope it works out!

[@positioningx-raysperfectly4733]

I wish you the best of luck. My videos one of the few videos that does the whole thing without live-positioning. Come back and leave a comment and let me know how you did. Thanks for watching all my videos and have a great day. Jeff.

[@dell1947]

Will try on next patient

[@AmandaMurphy-f8z]

When you say your suggested centring point (the higher one), and then move it down - do u mean move the angle down? And how much angle? Thanks. Amanda

[@ofishial5962]

The teeth are superimposing the send in this case a hyper extension of the head would be necessary during a repeat.

[@positioningx-raysperfectly4733]

Thanks for the comment, you are correct. If the teeth are superimposed over the dens, it won’t work. But I’ve had a lot of success with my approach. I know it’s helped others, but also confused many too. Ha ha. Thanks for watching my video and thanks for leaving a comment. Jeff.

[@Medicinelife348]

do they keep their mouth closed while lining up the bottom of the nose and EAM and then bring the light down and ask them to open their mouth?

[@jeffmaggie]

Yes, the way I do it. They do not need to open their mouth at all to see the top of the teeth because after you get them lined up, so the bottom of the nose in the EAM are perpendicular to the plate just have them open their mouth by lowering their jaw and you can kind of keep your hand on therefore head from the side if you’re approaching them from the side or if you’re looking directly at them, you can just hold the skull and have them drop their chin down if they do tip up a little bit weight and then when they fully opened, have them tip their neck down and that should resolve it. Thanks for watching on my videos and have a great day. Jeff.

[@victordeta]

Ok , I am a little lost . I understand centering below nose through the EAM but what next , should I raise chin up for central ray to go through the mouth . I tried it , I centre to nose , then raise chin up but the tip of odontoid is over shadow

[@positioningx-raysperfectly4733]

deta victor hey sorry for the extremely late reply but here is my response to that. Can you bring up a really good question. So, after you center your central Ray going through the bottom of the nose and the E a.m. Do you want to lower the two back down so it enters the crease of the lip. With an open mouth. So you’re just using the bottom of the nose in the E a.m. as a way to angle the skull in relation to the grid Bucky. Once you get that angle down then you want to move the tube inferior so it enters at the crease of the mouth. Then you’re ready to take the x-ray. Before you do, ask them to open their mouth a little bit more. Even if it looks open, ask them to still open the little bit more so you can get more real estate on the film. I hope this helps and I’m sorry again so late. I’ve posted a bunch of other videos on this channel if you’d like to take a look at it. Thanks again and have a great day. Jeff.

[@gildap359]

@@positioningx-raysperfectly4733 I tried doing your trick, it worked!! Woohoo!!! No more repeats on odontoids for me.

[@magalisilva2599]

Thank you!!

[@positioningx-raysperfectly4733]

You’re welcome, I hope this helps you. I’m going to make more videos as soon as I can find a model to do the humerus shoulder T spine else buying skull ribs abdomen to cube upright, pelvis, GD views, femur with hardware, femur without hardware. Femur, knee, tip fib, ankle, foot, heels, and toes,. I’m not sure when that’s going to be coming out but it will be coming out. Thanks Jeff. Have fun in the program. And remember it’s not hard it’s just lots.

[@pikechiropractic2159]

No significance to the unequal space around the dens bilaterally?

[@thevoiceharmonic]

There are some patients where a perfect odontoid is not possible due to anatomy. There are others where it is extremely easy due to anatomy

[@monicat4436]

Can I have your permission to screenshot these drawings and use them in a work presentation? We have implemented this at work and our cervical repeat rate is down. Thank You.

[@jeffmaggie]

Hi, yes you can. So glad you’re home it’s working for you. Thanks for watching my videos. Jeff.

[@supermanjeeva5049]

Sir pls do for ls spine lateral view

[@positioningx-raysperfectly4733]

Ok, that will be coming soon. I'm posting lower extremity exams now and then will move to the abd spine. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment. Jeff

[@Setsunna]

So....basically do what they teach us in the book with an extra step added....🤔

[@jeffmaggie]

Yep, that’s right. Follow the book and then after that look at the patient and check to see if the bottom of the nose is perpendicular to the plate intersecting through the EAM. For an extra advantage, after your rotoring ask the patient to open their mouth wider. They can always do it and you get a better picture. Usually they can open their mouth a little wider if you ask them right before exposure.

[@johnthemaestro4449]

Open the mouth also? With trick

[@israelarechiga6752]

👍