Can portable chest x-ray examination accurately diagnose lung consolidation after major abdominal surgery? A comparison with computed tomography scan.
OBJECTIVE
To prospectively quantify the degree of accuracy of portable chest x-ray film examination in the detection of postoperative lung consolidations.


METHODS
Nineteen patients had a chest x-ray film and computed tomography (CT) scan the day before and 48 h following elective abdominal aortic replacement.


RESULTS
The diagnosis of lung consolidations by x-ray film examination showed sensitivity of between 0.33 and 1.00, depending on the lung zone considered (lower at the lung bases). Specificity always was greater than 0.79. Radiologic lung volume decreased 16 percent postoperatively (p < 0.01) on average and noninflated parenchyma increased by a factor of 3 (p < 0.0001). Postoperatively, PaO2 correlated with the amount of condensed lung by CT scan (p < 0.002).


CONCLUSIONS
In postoperative conditions, x-ray film examination is a method which presents good specificity but poor sensitivity in the diagnosis of lung consolidations.
Beydon
L
L
Department of Anesthesia, Hôpital Henri Mondor, Créteil, France.
Saada
M
M
Liu
N
N
Becquemin
J P
JP
Harf
A
A
Bonnet
F
F
Rauss
A
A
Rahmouni
A
A
D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008176:Lung Volume Measurements; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010362:Patients' Rooms; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal; D013990:Tidal Volume; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014962:X-Ray Film
D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D010100:Oxygen