Diagnostic Value of Chest X-Ray in Patients With Suspected Infection and No Respiratory Signs or Symptoms

Sacha F de Stoppelaar; Liza Pereverzeva; Bram Hafkamp; Nikki Lips; Floor Tielbeke; Linde Rustenburg; Caroline Hoogerheide-Wiegerinck; Koen de Heer

doi:10.1093/ofid/ofaa221

Diagnostic Value of Chest X-Ray in Patients With Suspected Infection and No Respiratory Signs or Symptoms

Open Forum Infect Dis. 2020 Jun 8;7(6):ofaa221. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofaa221. eCollection 2020 Jun.

Authors

Sacha F de Stoppelaar^{1

2}, Liza Pereverzeva^{1

3}, Bram Hafkamp^{1

2}, Nikki Lips^{1

4}, Floor Tielbeke^{1

5}, Linde Rustenburg^{1

6}, Caroline Hoogerheide-Wiegerinck^{7

8}, Koen de Heer^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, Flevoziekenhuis, Almere, the Netherlands.
² Department of Internal Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
³ Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
⁴ Department of Clinical Geriatrics, Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
⁵ Department of Emergency Medicine, Deventer Ziekenhuis, Deventer, the Netherlands.
⁶ Department of General Practice, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
⁷ Department of Emergency Medicine, Flevoziekenhuis, Almere, the Netherlands.
⁸ Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Antonius Ziekenhuis, Nieuwegein, the Netherlands.

Abstract

Suspicion of an infection without localizing signs or symptoms is a common problem. A chest x-ray (CXR) is often performed to rule out pneumonia. Our prospective cross-sectional study suggests that a CXR has no diagnostic value in patients without respiratory signs or symptoms, if a reliable medical history can be obtained.

Keywords: CXR; chest x-ray; emergency department; fever; pneumonia.