While chest X-rays involve exposure to a small amount of radiation, the risk is minimal. Lead shielding is used to protect areas not being imaged, and the benefits of accurate diagnosis usually outweigh the risks.

Conditions like pneumonia, tuberculosis, lung cancer, heart enlargement, rib fractures, pleural effusion, pneumothorax, and foreign body obstructions can all be detected using these views.

For the AP view, the patient stands facing the X-ray machine, with the chest against the film or detector. In the LAT view, the patient stands with one side of the chest against the detector, with arms raised to avoid shoulder overlap.

No, while both provide detailed images of the chest, a CT scan offers more in-depth cross-sectional images, providing greater detail for conditions like lung cancer, blood clots, or complex fractures. Chest X-rays, in contrast, are faster, less invasive, and involve lower radiation.