TY - JOUR T1 - Abnormal chest radiographs preceding VQ scans: Does the type of abnormality matter? JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 38 IS - Suppl 55 SP - p584 AU - Arun Lakhanpal AU - Zahra Raisi Estabragh AU - Adeel Ashraf AU - Joseph Abbott AU - Robert Hewson AU - Hassan Burhan Y1 - 2011/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p584.abstract N2 - Introduction: Abnormal chest radiographs (CXR) have been considered to affect the interpretation of Ventilation/Perfusion scans (V/Q) for the investigation of suspected Pulmonary Embolism (PE). Recommendations suggest a V/Q scan only if a contemporaneous CXR is normal. Impact of individual CXR abnormalities on the outcome of V/Q scan has not been fully explored.Aim: To study the impact of individual CXR abnormalities suggestive of a range of cardiopulmonary diseases on V/Q scan results for the investigation of suspected PE.Method: All V/Q scan and preceding CXR reports from February '08-January '09 at our 960 bed teaching hospital were included in the study.Results: Data for a total of 1041 subjects who had a CXR prior to V/Q was collected. Total number of V/Q done on those with abnormal CXR findings was 345. The CXR abnormalities were classified as per the underlying cardiopulmonary pathology suggested by the report.View this table:Table 1Discussion: Regardless of whether the CXR report preceding the VQ scan was suggestive of infection, effusion, congestion or “COPD”, the proportion of low probability VQ scans was high (71-95%). This proportion was particularly high at 95% (and with no high probability scans) in those with CXRs suggestive of pulmonary oedema/congestion.When used in the correct clinical context a V/Q scan can be used with a high degree of accuracy despite certain CXR abnormalities. ER -