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Inappropriate use of computed tomography chest scanning in hospital patients

Askin Gunes, Lloyd J Ridley and Graham Simpson
Med J Aust 2008; 189 (5): . || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2008.tb02033.x
Published online: 1 September 2008

To the Editor: Computed tomography (CT) of the chest is superior to chest x-ray as an imaging modality of the lungs, mediastinum, pleura and the chest wall,1 and its use is increasing for a range of diagnostic and therapeutic applications.2 There are clear indications for the appropriate use of chest CT, and adherence to these can reduce cost, workload, procedure-related complications and radiation exposure. Our group recently analysed referrals for chest CT from general practice, and found that the scan was clinically helpful in only 12%, and inappropriate in 68%.3 We thus examined the indications for ordering CT of the chest, and the associated outcomes in hospital inpatients, who had been referred for chest CT by general physicians.


  • 1 Department of Medicine, Sunshine Hospital, Melbourne, VIC.
  • 2 Concord Hospital, Sydney, NSW.
  • 3 Thoracic Medicine and Regional TB Control Unit, Cairns Base Hospital, Cairns, QLD.


Correspondence: askin.gunes@wh.org.au

Acknowledgements: 

We thank the staff of Cairns Base Hospital Radiology Department and Rabia Khan, Tropical Public Health Unit Network, Queensland Health, for her guidance with the statistical analysis.

  • 1. Wells AU. Thoracic imaging. Semin Respir Crit Care Med 2003; 24: 331-332.
  • 2. Mettler FA Jr, Wiest PW, Locken JA, Kelsey CA. CT scanning: patterns of use and dose. J Radiol Prot 2000; 20: 353-359.
  • 3. Simpson G, Hartrick GS. Use of thoracic tomography by general practitioners. Med J Aust 2007; 187: 43-46. <MJA full text>
  • 4. Lau L, editor. Imaging guidelines. 4th ed. Sydney: Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists, 2001.

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