Are Follow-up X-rays Necessary

Abstract

Grossman, Wald, Nair, and Papiez have reported an interesting study on roentgenographic follow-up of acute pneumonia (Pediatrics 63:30, 1979). Their data suggest that routine follow-up radiographs are not reliably normal until six weeks to three months after initial diagnosis despite the patient's clinical improvement. Their emphasis on not radiographing a clinically well pediatric patient until a significant time interval after onset of disease is certainly reasonable.

From this data base they go on, however, to recommend that routine follow-up radiographs in pneumonia patients are only needed if clinical symptoms persist.