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Chest radiograph in acute respiratory infections in children

G H Swingler1, M Zwarenstein

  • 1School of Child and Adolescent Health, ICH Building, Red Cross Children's Hospital, Klipfontein Road, Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa, 7700. swingler@ich.uct.ac.za

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|July 22, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Chest radiography does not improve outcomes for children with acute lower respiratory infections. This study found no evidence of benefit, but potential risks and costs should be considered.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Medicine
  • Radiology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Chest radiography is frequently used for pediatric acute lower respiratory infections.
  • The clinical benefits of this diagnostic imaging technique remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of chest radiography in managing children diagnosed with acute lower respiratory infections.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials.
  • Searches included CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases up to 2004/2005.
  • Data extraction and quality assessment were performed by a single reviewer.

Main Results:

  • One trial involving 522 ambulatory children (2 months to 5 years) was included.
  • No significant differences were observed in recovery rates, subsequent hospital visits, or hospital admissions between radiography and control groups.
  • No deaths were reported in either group.

Conclusions:

  • Current evidence does not support the use of chest radiography for improving outcomes in ambulatory children with acute lower respiratory infection.
  • The potential benefits of radiography must be weighed against its associated hazards and costs.
  • Findings are specific to ambulatory pediatric populations.
Abstract

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