Article Text
Abstract
Background Several guidelines advocate multiple chest x-rays during primary resuscitation of trauma patients. Some local hospital protocols include a repeat x-ray before leaving the trauma resuscitation room (TR). The purpose of this study was to determine the value of routine repeat x-rays.
Methods One-year data of all radiological imaging in the TR were prospectively collected for all patients presenting to the TR of the hospital. The x-rays were counted and assessed and the findings were classified as either ‘new injury detected’, ‘presence of intervention devices’ or ‘deterioration of previously detected injury’.
Results A total of 674 patients were included. More than 75% had two x-rays. Eight (2.1%) new injuries without clinical relevance were found on the repeat x-ray after an initial normal x-ray. 61 patients (9%) had a repeat x-ray to verify the effect of an intervention or position of devices. In 28 patients (22%) with two abnormal x-rays, newly diagnosed injuries (n=9) or deterioration of known injuries (n=19) were found. In 411 patients (81%) the results of the repeat x-ray had no clinical consequences.
Conclusion This study indicates that routine repeat chest x-rays can be omitted in trauma patients whose initial chest x-ray is normal.
- Repeat
- routine
- chest x-ray
- trauma
- imaging
- x-ray
- management
- emergency department management
- paramedics
- guidelines
- chest
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Footnotes
Competing interests None.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.