The interpretation of chest radiographs of patients with thoracic trauma is not influenced by a grid nor by the experience of the reader.

Objective: To evaluate the interest of a grid and the experience of the int erpreter to interpretate the chest radiographs (CRs) of patients with thora cic trauma, the reference is the helicoidal computed tomography (HCT). Study design: Prospective observational study. Material: CRs and HCT of 50 thorax trauma patients. Method: CRs were analysed without a grid (L) and results were compared with those obtained in an anterior study with a grid (G). The interpreter were residents in anaesthesiology (DESAR; G: n = 6/ L: n = 4), residents in radi ology (DESR; G: n = 3/ L: n = 5), senior anaesthesiologists (MAR; G: n = 5/ L: n = 4), and senior radiologists (MR; G: n = 3/ L: n = 5). The reference was the HCT The lectors were compared. Results: The interpretation of the CRs was neither influenced by the experi ence and the speciality of the lector nor by the use of a grid. Perhaps the formation is suffisant for the anaesthesiologists to evaluate the essentia l lesions in the trauma patient and treat them. (C) 2001 Editions scientifi ques et medicales Elsevier.