title: Usefulness of routine pre-operative chest radiography for anaesthetic management: a prospective multicentre pilot study.
abstract: A prospective multicentre pilot study was undertaken in 20 Italian hospitals to assess the influence of a routine pre-operative chest radiograph on anaesthetic management and to characterise which patients might benefit from it. A total of 6111 patients undergoing elective surgery and submitted for routine pre-operative chest radiograph were enrolled. Abnormal preoperative chest radiographs were reported in 1116 patients (18.3%). Pre-operative chest radiograph altered the anaesthetic management (i.e. useful pre-operative chest radiograph) in 313 patients (5.1%). Male sex, age > 60 years, ASA classes > or = 3, respiratory diseases, and the presence of two or more co-existing diseases were significantly related to the probability of a useful pre-operative chest radiograph using multivariate analysis (P < 0.01). The classification of the surgical intervention and, of the co-existing diseases, the presence of cardiac disease had a very low influence when determining the probability that a pre-operative chest radiograph would be useful. A simple equation includes the effects of all the variables studied and allows calculation of the probability of a useful pre-operative chest radiograph. This study indicates that in healthy, female, < or = 60-year-old patients, submitted for standard surgery, the probability of a useful pre-operative chest radiograph ranges from 0.2% to 3.5% according to the hospital. The probability increases in male or elderly subjects, or in the presence of co-existing respiratory diseases, or in ASA classes > or = 3, but there is a wide variation between hospitals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Cattinara Hospital.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Silvestri
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maffessanti
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gregori
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Berlot
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gullo
mesh_terms: D000769:Anesthesia, Inhalation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012307:Risk Factors