Patterns of resolution of chest radiograph abnormalities in adults hospitalized with severe community-acquired pneumonia.
BACKGROUND
Timing of follow-up chest radiographs for patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is difficult, because little is known about the time to resolution of chest radiograph abnormalities and its correlation with clinical findings. To provide recommendations for short-term, in-hospital chest radiograph follow-up, we studied the rate of resolution of chest radiograph abnormalities in relation to clinical cure, evaluated predictors for delayed resolution, and determined the influence of deterioration of radiographic findings during follow-up on prognosis.


METHODS
A total of 288 patients who were hospitalized because of severe CAP were followed up for 28 days in a prospective multicenter study. Clinical data and scores for clinical improvement at day 7 and clinical cure at day 28 were obtained. Chest radiographs were obtained at hospital admission and at days 7 and 28. Resolution and deterioration of chest radiograph findings were determined.


RESULTS
At day 7, 57 (25%) of the patients had resolution of chest radiograph abnormalities, whereas 127 (56%) had clinical improvement (mean difference, 31%; 95% confidence interval, 25%-37%). At day 28, 103 (53%) of the patients had resolution of chest radiograph abnormalities, and 152 (78%) had clinical cure (mean difference, 25%; 95% confidence interval, 19%-31%). Delayed resolution of radiograph abnormalities was independently associated with multilobar disease (odds ratio, 2.87; P < or = .01); dullness to percussion at physical examination (odds ratio, 6.94; P < or = .01); high C-reactive protein level, defined as >200 mg/L (odds ratio, 4.24; P < or = .001); and high respiratory rate at admission, defined as >25 breaths/min (odds ratio, 2.42; P < or = .03). There were no significant differences in outcome at day 28 between patients with and patients without deterioration of chest radiograph findings during the follow-up period (P > .09).


CONCLUSIONS
Routine short-term follow-up chest radiographs (obtained <28 days after hospital admission) of hospitalized patients with severe CAP seem to provide no additional clinical value.
Bruns
Anke H W
AH
Division of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Oosterheert
Jan Jelrik
JJ
Prokop
Mathias
M
Lammers
Jan-Willem J
JW
Hak
Eelko
E
Hoepelman
Andy I M
AI
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D006985:Hyperventilation; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010474:Percussion; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic
D002097:C-Reactive Protein