Keywords:
Cardiac, Respiratory system, Interventional vascular, Conventional radiography, Diagnostic procedure, Surgery, Outcomes
Authors:
A. M. den Harder1, L. de Heer1, P. A. de Jong1, W. J. Suyker1, T. Leiner1, R. P. J. Budde2; 1Utrecht/NL, 2Rotterdam/NL
Results
Baseline characteristics are provided in Table 1.
The chest x-ray was considered abnormal in 9.9% (112/1,136) patients (Figure 1).
The three most common abnormalities were a possible mass (42/1,136; 3.7%),
consolidation (19/1,136; 1.7%) or pleural effusion (42/1,136; 3.7%).
Additional test or referral to a specialist based on those findings occured in 17 patients (17/1,136; 1.5%).
The surgical strategy was altered in one patient,
due to extensive aortic calcifications noted on the chest x-ray and subsequent CT.
Surgery was postponed in two patients due to suspected previously unrecognized pneumonia and for further analysis of unilateral pleural effusion respectively.
Patients with an abnormal chest x-ray more often required prolonged stay at the intensive care unit (26.7% and 16.1% respectively).
In 63% (726/1,136) a recent chest x-ray and/or CT was available at the moment they received the routine preoperative chest x-ray.