Old fashion clinical judgment in the era of protocols: is mandatory chest X-ray necessary in injured patients?
BACKGROUND
The ATLS Course advocates that injured patients have a chest x-ray (CXR) to identify potential injuries. The purpose of this study was to correlate clinical indications and clinician judgment with CXR results to ascertain if a selective policy would be beneficial.


METHODS
Patients treated at a Level I trauma center over 12 months were prospectively evaluated. Before obtaining a CXR, signs, symptoms, and history suggestive of thoracic injury were identified. Additionally, a trauma surgeon (TS) recorded whether in their judgment a CXR was clinically indicated. These findings were compared with final CXR diagnoses. The sensitivity of individual clinical indicators, combinations of clinical indicators, and TS judgment for CXR abnormalities were calculated with a 95% confidence interval.


RESULTS
During the twelve-month study period, data were acquired on 772 patients (age 0-102 years). Seventy percent were male and 86.0% were injured by blunt force. Only 29% (N = 222) of the patients manifested one or more of the clinical indicators (signs and symptoms). The negative predictive value for the TS judgment was 98.2% which was superior to the clinical indicators. Reliance on the opinion of the TS to determine the need for a CXR would have eliminated 49.9% of CXRs and avoided hospital and radiologist reading charges totaling $100,078.22.


CONCLUSIONS
Mandatory CXR for all trauma patients has a low yield for abnormal findings. A selective policy relying on surgical judgment guided by clinical indicators is safe and efficacious while reducing cost and conserving resources.
Sears
Benjamin W
BW
Division of Trauma, Critical Care and Burns, Department of Surgery, Burn Shock Trauma Institute, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois 60153, USA.
Luchette
Fred A
FA
Esposito
Thomas J
TJ
Dickson
Elizabeth L
EL
Grant
Mark
M
Santaniello
John M
JM
Jodlowski
Christopher R
CR
Davis
Kimberly A
KA
Poulakidas
Stathis J
SJ
Gamelli
Richard L
RL
D000058:Accidental Falls; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002983:Clinical Competence; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D008482:Mediastinum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012253:Rib Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*