Chest radiographs may be overused in severe CAP.(Infectious Diseases)(community-acquired pneumonia) From: Family Practice News | Date: February 1, 2008| Author: Dixon, Bruce K. | COPYRIGHT 2008 International Medical News Group. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

CHICAGO -- Routine follow-up chest radiography may not be appropriate for patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia who clinically respond to initial antibiotic therapy, according to a multicenter study presented at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

"In addition, chest radiographs obtained prior to hospital discharge, as advised by the American Thoracic Society in their 1993 guideline, seem to be unnecessary," according to the ...