Final answer:
Out of field artifact may occur if patients arms are placed at their sides during a chest exam with a scan FOV of 33cm, causing potential issues with image accuracy.
Step-by-step explanation:
If patients arms are placed at their sides during a chest exam with a scan field of view (FOV) of 33cm, out of field artifact may occur. This artifact arises when part of the patient's anatomy, in this case, the arms, is outside the predetermined scan field of view. The result is that the area of the patient's chest that is being evaluated could have inconsistencies or errors in the image, which can impact diagnostic accuracy. Beam hardening and cone beam artifacts are other types of artifacts, but are not directly related to the positioning of the patient's arms outside the field of view in a chest exam.