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May042018
Low-Dose CT for the Diagnosis of Pneumonia in Elderly Patients: A Prospective, Interventional Cohort Study
Friday, May 4, 2018 at 9:16AM
Prendki V, Scheffler M, Huttner B, et al. Eur Respir J. 2018 Apr 12. pii: 1702375. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
The diagnosis of pneumonia can be challenging. The authors prospectively assessed whether a low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) modified the probability of diagnosing pneumonia in 200 elderly patients suspected of having pneumonia. The treating clinician assessed the probability of pneumonia before and after the LDCT by using a Likert scale. After LDCT, the estimated probability of pneumonia changed in 90 (45%) patients: 60 (30%) were downgraded, 30 (15%) upgraded. The authors conclude that LDCT modified the estimated probability of pneumonia in a substantial proportion of patients.
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