ChestFull access
Pediatric chest
Small children go AP supine or erect in a Pigg-O-Stat; expose at full inspiration, even mid-cry, with the shortest time you can.
Patient and part
Children old enough to stand still, usually from about age 3 or 4, get a PA and left lateral chest like an adult. Infants and toddlers are taken AP, either supine on the table or erect in an immobilizer such as a Pigg-O-Stat, which holds the child sitting up with the arms raised. Erect is preferred when it is possible, because air-fluid levels and the true size of the heart show better. For a supine AP, place the child on the IR with the arms raised beside the head, the legs held straight and the chin lifted off the upper chest. For the lateral, raise both arms and keep the child in a true side position with sponges or a parent's hands.