A few different things can be done during an abdominal exam. A regular one view is done by having you lay on the table with a gown (or clothes with no metal). The technologist will feel the top of your pelvis, called your iliac crest. This is where people put their hand on their hip, so to speak. Even if your pain is on the left, most likely the tech will palpate the right side. Don't worry, this is only a centering technique, they will image the entirety of your abdomen. The technologist will then ask you to take in a breath and blow it out, and one or two exposures will be taken, depending on your body type.
Often, a doctor will order what's called an abdominal series, this will include a single view chest xray, and a standing abdominal view in addition to the supine one described above. The reason behind this is simple, looking to see what type of changes occur when standing and laying down. If you have a bowel obstruction or perforation, then air will leak into your abdominal cavity. By imaging you when you're standing up we can see if there is any free air under your diaphragm, and thus help diagnose you with out having to use a different imaging technique such as a CT scan.
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