Changes in B-readings over time in the United States Navy Asbestos Medical Surveillance Program.
OBJECTIVE
To study the impact of variability among B-readers on clinical occupational medicine.


METHODS
A total of 419,770 B-reading reports from February 1980 to May 2004 in the US Navy Asbestos Medical Surveillance Program were analyzed for changes in category from the previous B-reading on each individual worker.


RESULTS
Over 7% of films were categorized as worse (ie, read as going from negative to positive), and over 6% were categorized as better. When profusion categories were reported as different from the previous reading (over 6% of the time), they were more frequently read as 2 or more minor categories worse or better.


CONCLUSIONS
Changes from previous B-readings are common, and may have clinical and other implications, which are discussed. B-readings should not be used as the sole basis for determining the presence or absence of pneumoconiosis.
Muller
John G
JG
Navy Environmental Health Center, Military Sealift Fleet Support Command, Norfolk, VA 23708-2103, USA. mullerj@nehc.med.navy.mil
Rudolph
W Garry
WG
Lieske
Jonathan M
JM
Hernandez
Jose E
JE
Jan
Moore H
MH
Kubiak
Gosia
G
D001194:Asbestos / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000592:standards; D001195:Asbestosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008400:Mass Chest X-Ray / Q000592:standards*; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008886:Military Hygiene / Q000592:standards; D009326:Naval Medicine; D015588:Observer Variation; D016272:Occupational Health; D009786:Occupational Health Services; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014481:United States
D001194:Asbestos