Chest radiography
Lewis S
Record ID 31998008939
English
Authors' objectives:
In 1993 HSURC established a working group to develop clinical practice guidelines on the major uses of chest radiography. This paper summarizes the evidence supporting the guidelines, based on more extensive analytical literature reviews undertaken for the working group.
Authors' recommendations:
Chest radiography is by far the most frequently used diagnostic imaging procedure in Saskatchewan. Although the quality of the literature varies, there is strong evidence from large cohort and case-control studies that routine (ie, in the absence of symptoms or clinical suspicion of a disorder) procedures are ineffective.
There is strong evidence that screening smokers for lung cancer as part of the periodic health examination has no effect on mortality rates. Chest radiography is warranted on suspicion or exacerbation of some diseases (eg, chronic airflow limitation), but not during uncomplicated exacerbations of others (eg, asthma).
As a rule, the evidence suggests the procedure should be triggered by symptoms, or by clinical suspicion of new conditions such as pneumonia. Otherwise it rarely alters either management or outcome.
Authors' methods:
Review
Details
Project Status:
Completed
URL for project:
http://www.hqc.sk.ca/resources.html
Year Published:
1997
English language abstract:
An English language summary is available
Publication Type:
Not Assigned
Country:
Canada
MeSH Terms
- Mass Screening
- Lung
- Lung Neoplasms
Contact
Organisation Name:
Health Services Utilization and Research Commission
Contact Address:
Health Services Utilization and Research Committee Box 46, 103 Hospital Drive, Saskatoon SK S7N 0W8, Canada Tel: (306) 655-1500, Fax: (306) 655-1462
Contact Name:
nisbetb@sdh.sk.ac. This organisation is now closed. Please see the Health Quality Council (HQC) website for further information at: http://www.hqc.sk.ca/.
Contact Email:
nisbetb@sdh.sk.ac. This organisation is now closed. Please see the Health Quality Council (HQC) website for further information at: http://www.hqc.sk.ca/.
Copyright:
Health Services Utilization and Research Commission
This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment from a member of INAHTA or other HTA producer. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database.