What must exist before a procedure is performed?

• A. A physician order
• B. A consent form
• C. An anesthesia assessment
• D. A radiology request

Answer: (A)

Before any radiologic procedure, a physician order must exist. This formal authorization communicates the exact exam needed, the patient’s identity, and the clinical indication, directing the radiology team on how to proceed and triggering scheduling, protocol choices, and safety checks. The consent form, while important for patient understanding and autonomy, does not authorize the procedure itself. An anesthesia assessment is only required if anesthesia or sedation will be used. A radiology request can be the form used to convey the order within imaging, but without the physician’s authorization, the procedure cannot proceed.