Chest x-ray in clinical practice

The chest radiograph is a very commonly requested examination and is probably the hardest plain film to interpret correctly. Accurate interpretation can greatly influence patient management in the acute setting. It is, however, often performed out of hours with interpretation undertaken by relatively junior members of staff, frequently with no senior radiological advice available.

Therefore, the core information in this book is based upon a series of talks given to Junior Doctors by the authors. These provide a logical framework for the initial assessment of the chest X-ray and thus enable a proper diagnosis to be made, with advice in how to offer the correct management of patients. This structured approach is greatly appreciated by these individuals as they feel it helps compensate for their lack of applied knowledge. It is important however to get the tone right, as often books on interpretation tend to be either aimed below or above the level that such doctors need.