NIOSHTIC-2 Publications Search

New composite ('quadrant') standard films for classifying radiographs of pneumoconiosis.

Jacobson-M; Miller-WE; Parker-JE

Ind Health 1998 Oct; 36(4):380-383

http://dx.doi.org/10.2486/indhealth.36.380

20000171

120 chest radiographs of dust exposed persons were classified twice by each of 39 physicians, and three times by 37 of them. All film readers use both the 22 standard films accompanying the current International Labour Office's (1980) Classification of Radiographs of Pneumoconiosis, and a modified set that reproduced selected parts from some of them as quadrants of full-size films. Variability within and between readers in small opacity profusion classifications was high, but similar when using the two sets of standards. Some readers recognized irregularly shaped small opacities more frequently higher on the scale when using the current standards. The effects found were small although the test films included a high proportion with some small opacities. It is concluded that use of the new quadrant standards is unlikely to introduce any important bias into results from occupational health surveys.

Pulmonary-system-disorders; Pneumoconiosis; X-ray-diagnosis; Diagnostic-techniques; Diagnostic-tests; Radiographic-analysis; Radiography; Dust-exposure; Occupational-health; Author Keywords: ILO; International; Classification; Chest radiograph; Pneumoconiosis

Michael Jacobsen, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown WV 26505, USA

INHEAO

19981001

Journal Article

1999

4

0019-8366

DRDS

Industrial Health

WV