The significance of routine chest X-ray in acute stroke

We retrospectively evaluated the significance of making a chest X-ray in th e acute stage of a stroke. Forty percent of the chest X-rays were of subopt imal quality. Abnormal chest X-rays were, in part, the reason for consultat ion of chest specialists in 5%. A chest X-ray in patients with acute stroke should only be performed if there is clinical suspicion of pulmonary or ca rdiac pathology, not as a routine. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All right s reserved.