We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
GLOBETECH PUBLISHING LLC

Download Mobile App




Chest X-Rays Effectively Exclude Pediatric Pneumonia

By MedImaging International staff writers
Posted on 08 Oct 2018
Image: A new study claims chest x-rays can help limit antibiotic therapy in suspected pneumonia (Photo courtesy of Alami).
Image: A new study claims chest x-rays can help limit antibiotic therapy in suspected pneumonia (Photo courtesy of Alami).
Children with low clinical suspicion for pneumonia and a negative chest radiograph and can be safely observed without resorting to antibiotic therapy, claims a new study.

Researchers at Harvard University (Cambridge, MA, USA) and Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH; MA, USA) conducted a study that included 683 children during a two-year study period in order to determine the negative predictive value of chest x-rays in pediatric suspected pneumonia. Children receiving antibiotics and those with underlying chronic medical conditions were excluded. The primary outcome was defined as a physician-ascribed diagnosis of pneumonia, independent of radiographic findings.

Children who had negative X-rays and no clinical diagnosis of pneumonia were managed for two weeks after the emergency department visit, with those diagnosed with pneumonia during the follow-up period considered as false-negatives. In all, 72.8% of the children had negative radiographic findings, 8.9% were clinically diagnosed with pneumonia, and 9.3% were given antibiotics for other bacterial syndromes. Five of the 411 children with negative X-rays managed without antibiotics were later diagnosed with pneumonia, representing a negative predictive value of 98.8%. The study was published in the September 2018 issue of Pediatrics.

“Most clinicians caring for children in the outpatient setting rely on clinical signs and symptoms to determine whether to prescribe an antibiotic for the treatment of pneumonia,” concluded lead author Susan Lipsett, MD, of Harvard University, and colleagues. “However, given recent literature in which the poor reliability and validity of physical examination findings are cited, reliance on physical examination alone may lead to the overdiagnosis of pneumonia.”

Pneumonia is the greatest killer of children worldwide, with over 920,000 reported deaths in 2015 alone. The World Health Organization (WHO) clinical definition of pneumonia is based on the presence of cough and tachypnoea. While highly sensitive, the definition cannot distinguish between viral and bacterial infection. As a result, chest radiographs are widely employed, with a spectrum of radiological finding available to differentiate between complicated pneumonia (e.g. pneumonia with empyema and necrotizing pneumonia), simple pneumonia (e.g. lobar consolidation), and mild interstitial changes.

Related Links:
Harvard University
Boston Children’s Hospital

Wall Fixtures
MRI SERIES
Computed Tomography System
Aquilion ONE / INSIGHT Edition
New
High-Precision QA Tool
DEXA Phantom
Multi-Use Ultrasound Table
Clinton

Channels

Ultrasound

view channel
Image: The new implantable device for chronic pain management is small and flexible (Photo courtesy of The Zhou Lab at USC)

Wireless Chronic Pain Management Device to Reduce Need for Painkillers and Surgery

Chronic pain affects millions of people globally, often leading to long-term disability and dependence on opioid medications, which carry significant risks of side effects and addiction.... Read more

Nuclear Medicine

view channel
Image: The diagnostic tool could improve diagnosis and treatment decisions for patients with chronic lung infections (Photo courtesy of SNMMI)

Novel Bacteria-Specific PET Imaging Approach Detects Hard-To-Diagnose Lung Infections

Mycobacteroides abscessus is a rapidly growing mycobacteria that primarily affects immunocompromised patients and those with underlying lung diseases, such as cystic fibrosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary... Read more

Imaging IT

view channel
Image: The new Medical Imaging Suite makes healthcare imaging data more accessible, interoperable and useful (Photo courtesy of Google Cloud)

New Google Cloud Medical Imaging Suite Makes Imaging Healthcare Data More Accessible

Medical imaging is a critical tool used to diagnose patients, and there are billions of medical images scanned globally each year. Imaging data accounts for about 90% of all healthcare data1 and, until... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.