Table 4

Incidence of new expected and new unexpected predefined major abnormalities in 319 on-demand chest radiographs that were ordered as routine chest radiographs

Abnormalities
Expected abnormalitiesa
Unexpected abnormalitiesa



Abnormalities expected by the ICU physician
Abnormalities found by the radiologist
Unexpected abnormalities found by the radiologist
Abnormalities resulting in a change in therapy

Total number of abnormalities
137
8
29
11
Total number of chest radiographs with abnormalities
124 (38.9%)
8 (2.5%)
28 (8.8%)
11 (3.4%)
Total number of patients with chest radiographs with abnormalitiesb
89 (11.8%)
8 (1.1%)
27 (3.6%)
11 (1.5%)

Predefined major abnormalities are summarized in Table 1. aAbsolute number of chest radiographs (% of all daily routine chest radiographs). bAbsolute number of patients (% of all patients with daily routine chest radiographs).

Graat et al. Critical Care 2006 10:R11   doi:10.1186/cc3955