Correlation Between Low-Dose Chest Computed Tomography and RT-PCR Results for the Diagnosis of COVID-19: A Report of 27,824 Cases in Tehran, Iran.

Autor: Zali A; Functional Neurosurgery Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: azalimd99@gmail.com., Sohrabi MR; Community Medicine Department, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Mahdavi A; Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Radiology Department, Imam Hossein Hospital, Tehran, Iran., Khalili N; School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Taheri MS; Radiology Department, Shohada Tajrish Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran., Maher A; School of Management and Medical Education, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Sadoughi M; Ophthalmic Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Zarghi A; School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Ziai SA; Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Shabestari AA; Department of Radiology, Modarres Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Bakhshayeshkaram M; National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Haghighatkhah H; Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Shohada-e-Tajrish Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Salevatipour B; Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Loghman Hakim Hospital; Shahid Behesti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Abrishami A; Department of Radiology, Shahid Labbafinejad hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Raoufi M; Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Imam Hossein Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences., Dehghan P; Imaging Department, Taleghani Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran., Bagheri AK; Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Shohadaye Tajrish Hospital, Tehran, Iran., Khoshnoud RJ; Department of Neurosurgery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran., Hanani K; School of Statistics & Information Technology Management, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Academic radiology [Acad Radiol] 2021 Dec; Vol. 28 (12), pp. 1654-1661. Date of Electronic Publication: 2020 Sep 21.
DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2020.09.003
Abstrakt: Rationale and Objectives: Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) remains the gold standard for confirmation of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) despite having many disadvantages. Here, we investigated the diagnostic performance of chest computed tomography (CT) as an alternative to RT-PCR in patients with clinical suspicion of COVID-19 infection.
Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 27,824 patients with clinical suspicion of COVID-19 infection who underwent unenhanced low-dose chest CT from 20 February, 2020 to 21 May, 2020 were evaluated. Patients were recruited from seven specifically designated hospitals for patients with COVID-19 infection affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. In each hospital, images were interpreted by two independent radiologists. CT findings were considered as positive/negative for COVID-19 infection based on RSNA diagnostic criteria. Then, the correlation between the number of daily positive chest CT scans and number of daily PCR-confirmed cases and COVID-19-related deaths in Tehran province during this three-month period was assessed. The trends of admission rate and patients with positive CT scans were also evaluated.
Results: A strong positive correlation between the numbers of daily positive CT scans and daily PCR-confirmed COVID-19 cases (r = 0.913, p < 0.001) was observed. Furthermore, in hospitals located in regions with a lower socioeconomic status, the admission rate and number of positive cases within this three-month period was higher as compared to other hospitals.
Conclusion: Low-dose chest CT is a safe, rapid and reliable alternative to RT-PCR for the diagnosis of COVID-19 in high-prevalence regions. In addition, our study provides further evidence for considering patients' socioeconomic status as an important risk factor for COVID-19.
Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest.
(Copyright © 2020 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE