Document Detail


Are routine chest X-rays for students entering university worthwhile?
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  11856414     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Mass radiographic screening for tuberculosis has lost favour in many countries. The aim of this study was to determine whether the continued practice of such screening of prospective students at the University of the West Indies was warranted by assessing the yield and the cost of the programme in our setting. In a cross- sectional retrospective study, 12,662 chest X-ray reports collected over the period 1989-1997 were studied. No active case of tuberculosis was detected. Three students reported a previous history of tuberculosis and 10 students had a positive family history of tuberculosis. Three hundred and ninety-nine clinically insignificant abnormalities were reported, such as mild scoliosis and calcified foci. Routine radiological screening of prospective students at the University of the West Indies for tuberculosis has an extremely low yield, places the students at unnecessary risk of radiation exposure and should be discontinued.
Authors:
K Sebro; S Rolle; S Gray; S Seecharan; K Thompson; K Weerasena-Nedd; S Teelucksingh
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of quality in clinical practice     Volume:  21     ISSN:  1320-5455     ISO Abbreviation:  J Qual Clin Pract     Publication Date:  2001 Dec 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2002-02-21     Completed Date:  2002-03-18     Revised Date:  2004-11-17    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  9430670     Medline TA:  J Qual Clin Pract     Country:  Australia    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  154-6     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, St Augustine, Trinidad, West Indies. smylz@tstt.net.tt
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Diagnostic Tests, Routine / economics,  utilization*
Female
Health Services Research
Humans
Incidence
Male
Mass Chest X-Ray / economics,  utilization*
Students*
Trinidad and Tobago / epidemiology
Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / economics,  epidemiology,  radiography*
Universities*

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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