While chest X-rays (CXRs) remain an important part of surgeon’s evaluation before cancer or thoracic surgeries, it is better if these staging examinations are complete before committing a patient to surgery. CXRs are not indicated in the routine pre–anesthetic assessment. In the absence of symptoms, CXRs yield few diagnoses and many false positives. CXRs do not improve risk prediction or stratification. CXR in the pre-anesthetic evaluation should be reserved for patients with symptoms consistent with acute cardiopulmonary illness (dyspnea, wheeze, productive sputum, etc.).
Conditions: routine pre–anesthetic assessment, asymptomatic patients
Diagnostic Tests: chest x-ray (CXR)
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