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Chest x ray

  • 19-03-2009 9:39pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 95 ✭✭


    I have to have a chest x ray in the morning. I have been coughing and having trouble catching my breath for about two months so the doc has referred me.

    Im terrified of what they might find.

    Is is normal for a 31 year old to be sent for one? How long do they take and how long before i get results?

    Any advice gratefully received.

    Not looking for medical asvice, just wondering if it is normal and what to expect


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33,518 ✭✭✭✭dudara


    Moved to Biology & Medicine.

    dudara


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,816 ✭✭✭Vorsprung


    Not looking for medical asvice, just wondering if it is normal and what to expect

    You haven't head the chest x-ray yet! No-one here is going to say what an investigation is going to show, to do so would be to diagnose you.

    A chest X ray takes about a second to perform, most of the work is in the preparation and positioning. They'd tend to be reported on fairly quickly (relatively simple to interpret) and your GP could have the report within a few hours/next day.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 855 ✭✭✭ergo


    I have to have a chest x ray in the morning. I have been coughing and having trouble catching my breath for about two months so the doc has referred me.

    Im terrified of what they might find.

    Is is normal for a 31 year old to be sent for one? How long do they take and how long before i get results?

    Any advice gratefully received.

    Not looking for medical asvice, just wondering if it is normal and what to expect

    I don't want to give medical advice and if I cross the line I won't be offended if you lock the thread

    I know it's difficult when you''re in the GP's office to remember what to ask but asking your GP the simple question "what are you looking for?" on the x-ray would probably have led the GP to reassure you about what he or she expected to find and that

    I can't go into specifics and I've tried searching for the numbers but I think it's fair to say that at least the majority ie >50% of chest x-ray's done on 31 year olds as out-patients like the OP will be completely normal. I suspect the figure would be a lot higher than 50% but don't want to speculate

    BUT, if it was definitely going to be normal it wouldn't have been requested by your doctor, it may be worth trying to contact your GP for a quick chat to ask what he/she expects

    I won't go into specifics but if you're worried about lung cancer as many people might be for whatever reason I can point out a statistic from a study of 1,012 patients with lung cancer, only 126 (12.5%) were less than 50 years old so, statistically speaking, 31 would not be in the high risk age category for lung cancer and stats are very much on a 31 year old person's side in this case

    http://www.chestjournal.org/content/115/5/1232.full

    yes it's normal for a 31 year old to be sent for one, from age 1 hour to 101 years old chest x-rays are done on many different people for many different reasons. for specifics you'd need to ask your GP, I've tried to be general

    how long the result takes depends on the local set-up from a day or 2 to a week or two , most likely the result will be sent back to your GP


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 95 ✭✭Phoenix_Rising


    ergo wrote: »
    I don't want to give medical advice and if I cross the line I won't be offended if you lock the thread

    I know it's difficult when you''re in the GP's office to remember what to ask but asking your GP the simple question "what are you looking for?" on the x-ray would probably have led the GP to reassure you about what he or she expected to find and that

    I can't go into specifics and I've tried searching for the numbers but I think it's fair to say that at least the majority ie >50% of chest x-ray's done on 31 year olds as out-patients like the OP will be completely normal. I suspect the figure would be a lot higher than 50% but don't want to speculate

    BUT, if it was definitely going to be normal it wouldn't have been requested by your doctor, it may be worth trying to contact your GP for a quick chat to ask what he/she expects

    I won't go into specifics but if you're worried about lung cancer as many people might be for whatever reason I can point out a statistic from a study of 1,012 patients with lung cancer, only 126 (12.5%) were less than 50 years old so, statistically speaking, 31 would not be in the high risk age category for lung cancer and stats are very much on a 31 year old person's side in this case

    http://www.chestjournal.org/content/115/5/1232.full

    yes it's normal for a 31 year old to be sent for one, from age 1 hour to 101 years old chest x-rays are done on many different people for many different reasons. for specifics you'd need to ask your GP, I've tried to be general

    how long the result takes depends on the local set-up from a day or 2 to a week or two , most likely the result will be sent back to your GP

    Thank you so much for your reply - yup, cancer is the big one that im scared of. Your stats have given me great comfort - hopefully i will be on here next week saying that im fine.

    The doc mentioned that he thought it might be a virus, im not sure how serious that would be but it sounds better than cancer.

    Fingers crossed for a virus ;-)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,644 ✭✭✭✭nesf


    Have had to get chest X-Rays done a few times when I've had trouble with chest problems and am under 30. No need to stress too much about it, you'll get the results quick enough. :)


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,243 ✭✭✭kelle


    I do about 20-30 chest x-rays daily, and most out-patient CXR's are young people from teenagers upwards (paeds are not treated at our hospital). If it's any consolation, most of them are normal and most that are abnormal are treatable with antibiotics.
    It is so routine for me, I do forget each patient could be going through the same worry as you and for them it's a big deal!
    I don't know in which hospital you had your x-ray OP, but if it's a small hospital it will usually be reported on quick enough and your doctor can get the report over the phone, or have it faxed, if you are worried.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 95 ✭✭Phoenix_Rising


    kelle wrote: »
    I do about 20-30 chest x-rays daily, and most out-patient CXR's are young people from teenagers upwards (paeds are not treated at our hospital). If it's any consolation, most of them are normal and most that are abnormal are treatable with antibiotics.
    It is so routine for me, I do forget each patient could be going through the same worry as you and for them it's a big deal!
    I don't know in which hospital you had your x-ray OP, but if it's a small hospital it will usually be reported on quick enough and your doctor can get the report over the phone, or have it faxed, if you are worried.

    Thank you so much.

    Had it this morning and had the results by 11 am. God bless our health system. It is an infection in my right lung it seems. I am on anti biotics and steroids and have to have another x ray in a few weeks to see if that clears it.

    The relief is incredible, to be honest ;-)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 926 ✭✭✭drzhivago


    Thank you so much.

    Had it this morning and had the results by 11 am. God bless our health system. It is an infection in my right lung it seems. I am on anti biotics and steroids and have to have another x ray in a few weeks to see if that clears it.

    The relief is incredible, to be honest ;-)

    good to see the system works
    and glad to hear you are not seriously ill
    watch out for the steroids and sleep, can be difficult


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,644 ✭✭✭✭nesf


    drzhivago wrote: »
    good to see the system works

    Honestly, from all my experiences of it, the only thing I'd complain of was the waiting lists of 5-6 years ago. Every treatment and procedure I've gotten be it chest x-rays, pneumonia landing me in hospital, a week long battery of tests to rule out a bunch of stuff that meant I had to spend a week while "healthy" (it was for psych reasons, ruling out any brain lesions/damage that could explain why my symptoms weren't responding to treatment, checking kidney function due to long term medication etc), the two operations I had done as a kid and my wife giving birth to my son, all of them were positive. Yeah you could crib about little things but on balance I was very happy.

    The only major crib I have is about how long it takes to get a tertiary referral in with psych problems if you're not suicidal or a danger to others. You rank so low on the priority list (with good reason and I don't disagree with it even if it meant my situation was prolonged) that it takes months before you get the referral and then six months (as a private patient) to actually see the psychiatrist. And honestly, even then I appreciate that it isn't for lack of effort that this is the case it's just an unfortunate "triage" type situation where they have to give priority to those who are a danger to themselves and others no matter how grim your condition might be.

    The HSE that people bitch about isn't the one I've seen through my many experiences as both a public and private patient.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,243 ✭✭✭kelle


    Thank you so much.

    Had it this morning and had the results by 11 am. God bless our health system. It is an infection in my right lung it seems. I am on anti biotics and steroids and have to have another x ray in a few weeks to see if that clears it.

    The relief is incredible, to be honest ;-)

    I'm pleased all went well OP:)


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