Evaluating Two Different Methods of Control Chest X-Ray in Patients with Chest Trauma

Repeated physical examination and radiologic tests are necessary to prevent the complications in patients with thoracic injury. The aim of this study was to determine the cost-benefit of control chest x-ray (CXR) in these patients. In this prospective clinical trial, two groups of patients with chest trauma were evaluated. In one group, the control CXR every 6 hours was prepared and in the other group, repeated physical examination every 6 hours with only one CXR after 24 hours from admission was done. The patients had blunt or stab chest trauma without pneumothorax or hemothorax in first CXR. Data of age, sex, pneumothorax (simple or tension), hemothorax, lung contusion, hospital stay, mortality and homodynamic abnormality were collected and analyzed using chi-square test at the meaningful level of P < 0.05. Of 196 patients with mean of age 37.16 ± 17.59 years, 78% were men. There was not any tension pneumothorax or hemodynamic abnormality in two groups. Frequency of simple pneumothorax and hemodynamic abnormality was not different between the two groups (P = 0.39 and P = 1, respectively). It was possible to diagnose pneumothorax with serial physical examination in all patients (3 patients). In patients with chest trauma, repeated CXR can be replaced by repeated physical examination during first 24 hours.