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The chest X-ray and childhood acute asthma

K P Dawson1, N Capaldi

  • 1Department of Paediatrics, Westmead Hospital, NSW, Australia.

Australian Clinical Review
|January 1, 1993
PubMed

Insights

Routine chest X-rays for acute asthma attacks in children are often unnecessary. This study found no clinical differences between children who received X-rays and those who did not, suggesting cost savings and reduced radiation exposure are possible.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Medicine
  • Pulmonology
  • Radiology

Background:

  • Acute asthma attacks are common in children.
  • Chest X-rays are sometimes used during asthma exacerbations.
  • The clinical utility of routine chest X-rays in acute asthma is debated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the necessity of chest X-rays in children experiencing acute asthma attacks.
  • To determine if clinical factors predict the need for chest X-rays in pediatric asthma.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective comparison of 100 children with acute asthma who underwent chest X-ray versus 100 who did not.
  • Analysis of patient demographics, illness severity, and clinical parameters (pulse rate, respiratory rate, wheeze, accessory muscle use).

Main Results:

  • No significant differences were observed between the X-ray and non-X-ray groups in age, sex, or illness severity.
  • Clinical measures of respiratory distress did not differ between the groups.
  • Chest X-ray requests appeared not to be based on sound clinical judgment.

Conclusions:

  • Routine chest X-rays are not indicated for most children with acute asthma.
  • Eliminating unnecessary chest X-rays can lead to significant cost savings.
  • Reducing unnecessary X-rays decreases radiation exposure for pediatric patients.

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