title: Variability in interpretation among B-readers in the U.S. Navy Asbestos Medical Surveillance Program.
abstract: U.S. Navy Asbestos Medical Surveillance Program B-reading reports were analyzed for variability in identifying pneumoconiosis in 278,944 chest radiographs done from 1990 to 2004 using commercial database and statistical software. Reported presence of pneumoconiosis by 33 B-readers ranged from 1.85 to 32.28%. The reported presence of parenchymal abnormalities ranged from 0.11 to 15.07%; increased profusion (to 1/0 or greater) of small parenchymal opacities ranged from 0.10 to 17.70%; presence of large opacities ranged from 0.00 to 0.67%; and presence of pleural abnormalities ranged from 1.08 to 23.93%. Ranges appear to be decreasing slightly as rates of abnormal findings are diminishing. Differences between U.S. East Coast, West Coast, and midcontinent were not statistically significant.
authors.affiliation: Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center, 620 John Paul Jones Circle, Suite 1100, Portsmouth, VA 23708-2103, USA.
authors.forename: John G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lieske
authors.forename: Jose E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: Gosia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kubiak
authors.forename: W Garry
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Rudolph
authors.forename: Moore H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Jan
mesh_terms: D001194:Asbestos / Q000633:toxicity*; D019992:Databases as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008889:Military Personnel; D009326:Naval Medicine; D016272:Occupational Health; D011009:Pneumoconiosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011859:Radiography; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D001194:Asbestos