The inadequacy of indiscriminate periodical X-ray exams in occupational health: the results of the 1984 census in a large firm

Abstract

This paper reports on the results of the 1984 Minimal Mass Radiography (MMR) screening in a large company with no respiratory harzards are reported. Among 5,308 MMR there were 53(1%) abnormal findings with 4 cases of active pulmonary tuberculosis. The yield from screening was 0.75/1,000 MMR. The mean cost of diagnosing each active case of tuberculosis was around US$ 1,850. An increase in refusal rates to attend the screening, from 1.6% in 1982 to 7.8% in 1984, probably because of the increasing lay knowledge of radiation harzards, was also noted. The results are discussed with a short revision of ionizing radiations and the usefulness of X-ray screenings in occupational health.