The routine chest X-ray films from 1,000 patients admitted to pediatric department at Pusan Paik hospital were analyzed to evaluate the clinical significance of this examination used for screening intrathoracic pathologies.
@ES The results were as follows:
@EN 1. Of the 1,000 patients , 635 were male and 265 were female.
2. Abnormal findings were noted in 261 (26.1%) films among 1,000 patients, ie; 214 with respiratory disease, 18 with cardiac diseases and 29 with non-chest diseases.
3. Of 261 abnormal chest X-ray films, pneumonic infiltration (84%) and cardiomegaly(5.4%) were most common abnormal findings.
4. Among 29 cases of non-chest diseases with abnormal findings on chest X-ray, 27 cases had either signs, or symptoms, or past history of chest diseases simultaneously. Abnormalities were unexpectedly discovered in only 2 cases among 1,000
routine
chest X-ray films without symptoms and signs of chest diseases, and these chest X-ray findings were not affected the treatment of patients.
5. Incidence of positive findings for pulmonary tuberculosis on chest X-ray was 0.5%.
Above result shows us that the routine chest X-ray examinations are not necessary for all the hospitalized pediatric patients but should be done to a selected cases with suspecting chest diseases.
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