Elimination of daily routine chest radiographs does not change on-demand radiography practice in post–cardiothoracic surgery patients

ObjectiveWe sought to determine the effect of elimination of daily routine chest radiographs on chest radiographic practice in cardiothoracic surgery patients in the intensive care unit and the post–intensive care unit ward.MethodsWe used a prospective, comparative study design with an intervention in a 28-bed intensive care unit/post–intensive care unit ward (including a 4-bed medium-care unit) in a university hospital. Cardiothoracic surgery patients were admitted to the intensive care unit during a period of 6 months (3 months before intervention and 3 months after intervention). Daily routine chest radiographs in the intensive care unit were eliminated; all chest radiographs required a clinical indication. Routine chest radiographs were not performed in the post–intensive care unit ward, both before and after the intervention.ResultsBefore intervention, in the intensive care unit 353 daily routine chest radiographs and 261 on-demand chest radiographs were obtained in 175 patients; after intervention, 275 on-demand chest radiographs were obtained in 163 patients. Before intervention, in the post–intensive care unit ward 413 on-demand chest radiographs were obtained in 167 patients; after intervention, 445 on-demand chest radiographs were obtained in 161 patients. In the intensive care unit the number of chest radiographs per patient day decreased from 1.8 ± 0.6 to 1.1 ± 0.6. In the post–intensive care unit ward the number of chest radiographs per patient per day was 0.4 ± 0.2, both before and after the intervention. Slightly more unexpected abnormalities were found in the on-demand chest radiographs after the intervention. No negative influence on chest radiography timing, length of stay in the intensive care unit and hospital, and readmission rate was seen.ConclusionsElimination of daily routine chest radiographs led to a decrease of the total number of chest radiographs obtained per patient per day in the intensive care unit and did not change chest radiography practice in the post–intensive care unit ward.