Comparative evaluation of lung ultrasound versus chest X-ray for pneumothorax assessment post-invasive intrathoracic procedures: A case-costing evaluation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Persistently increasing healthcare spending, paired with growing healthcare demand, highlights the need to identify mechanisms for cost savings. Chest radiography (CXR) is commonly performed following intrathoracic procedures to rule out pneumothorax (PTX) even if the clinical pretest probability is low. However, lung ultrasound (LUS) is known to have superior sensitivity, possibly representing a promising cost-saving tool. In response, we conducted an economic analysis comparing LUS and CXR to exclude PTX after invasive intrathoracic procedures.

Methods

A retrospective review of the radiology case-costing center was performed at an academic cardiothoracic surgical institution to identify the activity and cost of CXRs performed to rule out PTX following intrathora

SUBMITTER: Winberg C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12039981 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature