Routine radiographic screening of the chest in pregnant women: is it indicated?

Experience with routine antepartum chest radiographic screening from July 1, 1976, through June 30, 1977, in a city-county hospital which serves a predominantly black indigent population was reviewed. The 5422 routine screening chest radiographs produced an extremely low yield of pathology (11 cases), and only 3 of the 11 cases were not suspected from the history or physical examination. Only 2 cases of active pulmonary tuberculosis were discovered, and both patients were recent immigrants from countries with a much higher incidence of tuberculosis. This low case finding probably reflects the general decline in incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis in the United States and suggests that routine screening chest radiographs (done primarily to exclude tuberculosis) are no longer indicated in our pregnant population.