The clinical value of screening chest radiography in the neonate with lung disease

Assessment of Diagnostic Reference Level in Radiography of Neonatal Chest Anteroposterior Examination: A Hospital-based Study

Radiological imaging is an important modality of today's overall practicum. Imaging can begin as early as the 1st day of life. Neonates are 3-4 times more sensitive to radiation than adults. The purpose of the work was to assess the diagnostic reference level (DRL), the radiation organ dose, and effective organ dose for both sexes from chest anteroposterior radiograph, which is the most common radiographic examination performed at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The entrance air kerma was measured using a solid-state PIN type detector, and the value was used as the input factor to PCXMC-2.0 software to calculate the entrance surface air kerma (ESAK), patient-specific organ dose, and effective dose originated from chest anteroposterior examinations of neonates at NICU. The mean value of ESAK is taken as a diagnostic reference level (DRL) for neonates (both male and female). The mean ESAK value of male neonates is (79.6 ± 1.4) μGy and for female is (79.9 ± 1.9) μGy, and the institutional diagnostic reference level (DRL) is 80.35 μGy for male and 81.2 μGy for female (i.e., third quartile value). A statistical dependency (correlation) between neonates body mass index (BMI) and ESAK was defined for both the sexes. Significant positive correlation was found between ESAK per patient with respect to BMI of both male (R = 0.83, P = 0.00001) and female (R = 0.72, P = 0.00055) neonates. The results for neonatal dose in NICU were compatible with the literature. The result presented will serve as baseline data for the selection of technical parameters in neonatal chest anteroposterior X-ray examination.

Choosing Wisely in Newborn Medicine: Five Opportunities to Increase Value

BACKGROUND

The use of unnecessary tests and treatments contributes to health care waste. The "Choosing Wisely" campaign charges medical societies with identifying such items. This report describes the identification of 5 tests and treatments in newborn medicine.

METHODS

A national survey identified candidate tests and treatments. An expert panel of 51 individuals representing 28 perinatal care organizations narrowed the list over 3 rounds of a modified Delphi process. In the final round, the panel was provided with Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) literature summaries of the top 12 tests and treatments.

RESULTS

A total of 1648 candidate tests and 1222 treatments were suggested by 1047 survey respondents. After 3 Delphi rounds, the expert panel achieved consensus on the following top 5 items: (1) avoid routine use of antireflux medications for treatment of symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease or for treatment of apnea and desaturation in preterm infants, (2) avoid routine continuation of antibiotic therapy beyond 48 hours for initially asymptomatic infants without evidence of bacterial infection, (3) avoid routine use of pneumograms for predischarge assessment of ongoing and/or prolonged apnea of prematurity, (4) avoid routine daily chest radiographs without an indication for intubated infants, and (5) avoid routine screening term-equivalent or discharge brain MRIs in preterm infants.

CONCLUSIONS

The Choosing Wisely Top Five for newborn medicine highlights tests and treatments that cannot be adequately justified on the basis of efficacy, safety, or cost. This list serves as a starting point for quality improvement efforts to optimize both clinical outcomes and resource utilization in newborn care.

Lung Ultrasound in the Critically Ill Neonate

Critical ultrasound is a new tool for first-line physicians, including neonate intensivists. The consideration of the lung as one major target allows to redefine the priorities. Simple machines work better than up-to-date ones. We use a microconvex probe. Ten standardized signs allow a majority of uses: the bat sign (pleural line), lung sliding and the A-line (normal lung surface), the quad sign and sinusoid sign indicating pleural effusion regardless its echogenicity, the tissue-like sign and fractal sign indicating lung consolidation, the B-line artifact and lung rockets (indicating interstitial syndrome), abolished lung sliding with the stratosphere sign, suggesting pneumothorax, and the lung point, indicating pneumothorax. Other signs are used for more sophisticated applications (distinguishing atelectasis from pneumonia for instance...). All these disorders were assessed in the adult using CT as gold standard with sensitivity and specificity ranging from 90 to 100%, allowing to consider ultrasound as a reasonable bedside gold standard in the critically ill. The same signs are found, with no difference in the critically ill neonate. Fast protocols such as the BLUE-protocol are available, allowing immediate diagnosis of acute respiratory failure using seven standardized profiles. Pulmonary edema e.g. yields anterior lung rockets associated with lung sliding, making the B-profile. The FALLS-protocol, inserted in a Limited Investigation including a simple model of heart and vessels, assesses acute circulatory failure using lung artifacts. Interventional ultrasound (mainly, thoracocenthesis) provides maximal safety. Referrals to CT can be postponed. CEURF proposes personnalized bedside trainings since 1990. Lung ultrasound opens physicians to a visual medicine.

Ultrasound examination of the lungs in the intensive care unit

OBJECTIVE

Lung ultrasound is increasingly used in the critically ill adult. It allows prompt management based upon reproducible data and generates fewer computed tomography (CT) examinations, therefore decreasing irradiation, delays, cost, and discomfort to the patient. The aim of this article is to describe the value of ultrasound for lung imaging in the critically ill and state our experience in neonates.

METHODS

Review of studies published in the peer-reviewed international literature analyzing consecutive critically ill adults admitted to intensive care units, assessing pleural effusion, alveolar consolidation, interstitial syndrome, and pneumothorax, using a standardized ultrasound approach to the lung, with CT as the reference.

DATA SYNTHESIS

The sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound are 92% and 93% for pleural effusion, 90% and 98% for alveolar consolidation, 93% and 93% for interstitial syndrome, 100% and 96% for complete pneumothorax, 79% and 100% for radio-occult pneumothorax.

DISCUSSION

This article reviews data that validate the scientific value of lung ultrasound in adult medical intensive care units. We then present observations in the critically ill neonate. The discussion points to the methodologic issues raised in lung ultrasound in the neonate, i.e. mainly the limited access to a pertinent gold standard (CT). Some CT correlations are presented, confirming the value of lung ultrasound in the neonate.

CONCLUSIONS

The standardized signs assessed in the adult are also found in the critically ill neonate, meaning a potential use in this field. Awaiting confirmatory CT studies, lung ultrasound can be taken into consideration as a possible bedside tool for completing bedside radiography.

Financial impact of elimination of routine chest radiographs in a pediatric intensive care unit

OBJECTIVE

To determine the change in chest radiograph use if each chest radiograph requires a separate order and clinical indication.

DESIGN

Prospective, nonrandomized, controlled design with an intervention.

SETTING

The pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at Primary Children's Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT.

PATIENTS

The study comprised 3,727 PICU patients treated between 1992 and 1996.

INTERVENTIONS

A change in ordering practice: There will be no standing orders for routine daily morning chest radiographs. Each radiograph requires a written order and a clinical indication.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

During a 29-month control phase when routine daily chest radiographs were obtained for all intubated patients, 1.026 chest radiographs per patient day were performed. After the intervention, the ratio dropped to 0.653 chest radiographs per patient day, a decrease of 36.4%. This resulted in a (projected) variable cost savings of $45,476. Data were also collected for quality assurance purposes.

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrate the impact of an evaluation and subsequent change in radiology ordering practice in our PICU. The change resulted in decreased variability in ordering practice, fewer chest radiographs per patient, and an accompanying cost savings to our patients and payors.