-
Will a chest x-ray detect daughter's bronchitis?
My daughter is 14 years old and has a really rough cough. Her doctor believes that she has bronchitis and wants us to have a chest x-ray. Will a chest x-ray detect bronchitis?
4 Answers
A chest X-ray is best to detect pneumonia compared to bronchitis. It may not show bronchitis. I would expose a 14-year-old to radiation for suspicion of bronchitis.
Hard to tell, bronchitis is a clinical diagnosis. Is this acute or chronic? If acute, why not treat and see? If chronic, X-ray is part of making a differential for the diagnosis, but so are pulmonary function tests and lab work.
Andres Borja Alvarez, MD
Very unlikely
Less likely, unless it is long standing.