Med-O-Meter

8

MedHead Message:

This is one of the most commonly ordered, yet wasteful tests done prior to surgery, yet only around 2% of these chest x-rays result in changing the management of surgery, and most of those abnormal chest x-rays already have known underlying lung problems. If you don’t have known heart or lung problems, and are not having surgery on your lungs or heart, then you don’t need a pre-operative chest x-ray, according to the American College of Radiology. Go ahead and show this to your surgeon! $420 is about 14 tanks of gas for your car…That’s a lot of extra trips for your kids soccer practice…or a really LONG roadtrip!

References:

1. http://www.choosingwisely.org/clinician-lists/american-college-radiology-admission-preop-chest-x-rays/

2.http://www.choosingwisely.org/clinician-lists/american-college-surgeons-admission-or-preop-chest-x-ray-on-ambulatory-patients/

3. https://www.newchoicehealth.com/procedures/chest-x-ray