title: [Quality of ambulatory thoracic radiography in the child--a pilot study].
abstract: A quality control of outpatient paediatric chest X-rays was conducted in a sample of patients of one paediatric practice. During a period of eight months the technical image quality was analysed considering both diagnostic aspects and radiation protection. The quality of the 139 examined chest X-rays was inadequate concerning the collimation and focussing of the X-rays and the positioning of the patients. Exposure was estimated as average, sharpness was rated as good. In total 14% of the X-rays were not suitable for medical diagnosis. Image quality of the X-rays of infants (children younger than 6 years) was significantly lower compared to the total sample. Radiation protection standards were not fulfilled. As a conclusion from our results, improvements in outpatient paediatric radiography are urgently necessary. Quality control committees should pay particular attention in radiographs of infants.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Pädiatrische Radiologie, Universität Heidelberg.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Engelmann
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dütting
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wunsch
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tröger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D016477:Artifacts; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D011786:Quality Control; D011835:Radiation Protection; D011859:Radiography; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013679:Technology, Radiologic; D013896:Thoracic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013899:Thoracic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*