Magyar sebészet
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Comparative Study
[Is daily chest X-ray necessary after lung resection? Evidence-based decision making].
The 'gold standard' practice following insertion of a chest tube after lobectomy is daily chest radiography (CXR), but this is not always followed. We compared the outcomes associated with the use of these two methods in our practice. ⋯ If CXRs are limited to symptomatic patients then the number of radiographs can be reduced by around 50%. There were no more postoperative complications or abnormal final CXR findings if the CXR was only ordered for symptomatic patients instead of as 'daily routine' during the postoperative period. Only 12-15% of the CXR abnormalities required surgical intervention.