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Routine chest roentgenograms on hospital admission do not discover tuberculosis
Southern Medical Journal
|May 1, 1977
Summary
Routine chest X-rays for all hospital admissions are not effective for discovering unsuspected tuberculosis (TB). Most TB cases were already known or suspected upon admission, limiting the value of routine screening films.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Radiology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and screening protocols.
- The role of routine chest roentgenograms in hospital admissions.
Observation:
- A review of 95 tuberculosis cases at Grady Memorial Hospital in 1972.
- Only six patients had TB unsuspected upon admission.
- Routine chest films identified unsuspected TB in only two out of 39,017 admissions.
Findings:
- Routine chest roentgenograms for all hospital admissions showed limited value in detecting previously unsuspected tuberculosis.
- The majority of tuberculosis cases were identified through pre-existing diagnoses or clinical suspicion prior to routine screening.
Implications:
- Re-evaluation of routine chest X-ray screening policies for hospital admissions.
- Focusing diagnostic resources on patients with symptoms or known risk factors for tuberculosis.