Clinical predictors for the selective use of chest radiographs in pediatric blunt trauma evaluations.

Background: Chest radiographs continue to be a routine part of the evaluation of children sustaining blunt trauma. This study sought to determine those clinical markers associated with an abnormal chest radiograph in nonintubated, pediatric, blunt trauma victims.

Methods: A retrospective case-control study was performed for severely injured pediatric trauma patients presenting to our emergency department between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 1997.