Patient related factors influencing the quality of paediatric chest radiographs
Date
2017
Authors
Strasheim, Eben Albert
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
INTRODUCTION:
The
chest
radiograph
is
the
most
common
radiographic
examination
performed
worldwide
due
to
its
versatility.
Improving
the
quality
of
chest
radiographs
and
avoiding
repeat
radiographs
can
decrease
the
collective
radiation
dose
to
children.
AIM:
To
identify
patient
related
factors
that
influence
the
quality
of
paediatric
chest
radiographs
by
assessing
the
quality
of
chest
radiographs
and
to
compare
the
quality
of
chest
radiographs
in
“radiologically”
sick
patients
to
those
of
“radiologically”
normal
patients.
METHOD:
A
retrospective
study
was
performed
to
determine
the
quality
of
paediatric
chest
radiographs
forming
part
of
an
existing
database.
The
sample
size
of
280
radiographs,
included
radiographs
of
children
aged
3
days
to
13
years.
Radiographic
errors
were
captured
on
an
electronic
tick-‐sheet,
consisting
of
twelve
specific
radiographic
errors
commonly
made
in
practice
and
included
the
presence
or
absence
of
respiratory
pathology.
Data
was
extracted
with
regards
to
each
of
the
12
errors,
patient
demographics
and
presence
of
respiratory
pathology
to
identify
associations.
RESULTS:
The
mean
patient
age
was
52.95
months.
The
most
common
errors
were,
in
descending
order,
“rotation”,
“under
inspiration”
and
“trachea
and
bronchi
not
well
seen.”
The
most
common
respiratory
pathologic
finding
was
“Airspace
opacification”.
There
was
a
statistically
significant,
low
correlation
present
between
the
radiographic
error
count
and
the
presence
of
respiratory
pathology
(p<0.001).
There
was
a
statistically
vi
significant
difference
in
the
quality
of
chest
radiographs
of
children
aged
0-‐18
months
and
those
aged
37-‐156
months
(p<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS:
The
results
of
this
study
have
demonstrated
that
there
is
a
correlation
between
the
presence
of
respiratory
disease
on
a
paediatric
chest
radiograph
and
the
quality
of
the
chest
radiograph.
The
numbers
of
errors
detected
were
higher
in
patients
with
respiratory
pathology
on
the
chest
radiograph.
Description
A research submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Medicine in Diagnostic Radiology, Johannesburg, 2017
Keywords
Chest Radiographs