For the patient with a positive PPD test, which usually indicates prior exposure to tuberculosis, the guidelines recommend a chest x-ray that typically includes a frontal and lateral view. The ...

Upon second inspection, 371 (58.3%) of the 636 chest X-rays were classified as normal. Of the 265 (41.7%) re-read as abnormal, 195 were classified as mild disease, 65 as moderate, and 5 as severe.

Medically reviewed by Jurairat J. Molina, MD A chest X-ray cannot diagnose asthma but can provide valuable information during a severe attack or when someone is hospitalized with asthma complications.