Are daily routine chest radiographs useful in critically ill, mechanically ventilated patients? A randomized study

Objective Whether chest radiographs (CXRs) in mechanically ventilated patients should be routinely obtained or only when an abnormality is anticipated remains debated. We aimed to compare the diagnostic, therapeutic and outcome efficacy of a restrictive prescription of CXRs with that of a routine prescription, focusing on delayed diagnoses and treatments potentially related to the restrictive prescription.