A Single-Center, Retrospective Study of Chest X-Rays in Potential Expatriates From KPK: A Descriptive Investigation

Retrospective Study of Chest X-Rays in Potential Expatriates From KPK

Abstract

Lung diseases are serious medical conditions that significantly impact the migrant populations. Chest X-rays are one of the most commonly used and cost-effective diagnostic tools for identifying various lung conditions. Objectives: To establish the prevalence of lung anomalies detected on X-ray in prospective expatriates, to evaluate their distribution by age, gender, region, occupation, and to determine the unfit cases within these groups. Methods: In this study, the chest X-ray reports of 42,688 Pakistani candidates from the year 2022 (Jan-Dec) were analyzed, who underwent medical screening (chest X-rays) for overseas employment under the guidelines of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The candidates aged between 18 and 51 years, with a mean age of 31.54 ± 4.86. Results: Out of 42,688 candidates examined over a year, 1,347 (3.15%) were deemed unfit based on chest X-ray findings. Chest X-ray anomalies were most prevalent among costophrenic angle obliteration (0.63%), pleural effusion (0.42%), and moderate apical scaring (0.31%). The population in the study was predominantly male, with no unfitness among females. Of these anomalies (n=1347), the most infected age group was 31–35 years (39.9%), followed by 36–40 (35.4%) and 41–45 (12.6%) years. Occupationally, the most affected were laborers (88.2%) and drivers (4.97%), whereas geographically, the highest prevalence was in Peshawar (12%), Mardan (11.3%), and Bannu (8.16%). Conclusions: This research allows us to determine the burden and distribution of chest-related anomalies among prospective expatriates, identify demographic, occupational, and geographic groups, and provides baseline epidemiological evidence from an understudied screening population.