Abstract
The study was conducted to determine the role of radiological investigation in assessing the severity of COVID-19 pneumonia with the help of chest X-ray (CXR), high resolution computed tomography (HRCT), and ultrasound. This was a retrospective study conducted on 105 COVID-19 patients with symptoms of fever, cough, dyspnea, loss of sense of smell and taste, body ache. Diagnostic tests PCR were positive for COVID-19 included from Medicare Cardiac and General Hospital and Jinnah Medical College Hospital Korangi (JMCH) from April to November 2020. Written informed consent was taken from all participants. This study was approved by ethical review committee, Jinnah Medical & Dental College. Real time-PCR (RT-PCR) was done for the confirmation. Radiological imaging including Chest X-ray, HRCT chest, and ultrasound was done to study the severity of symptoms. Sixty-five patients had mild to moderate symptoms with oxygen saturation between 96% - 98% and 30 patients with severe pneumonia had between saturation 50% - 55%. Patients with mild symptoms were followed up by chest X-ray showing mostly normal chest X-rays but single or patches of ground glass opacities (HRCT). HRCT of 10 patients with low oxygen saturation 50% were already done showing bilateral peripheral patchy consolidation predominantly involving mid and lower lobes. 3 patients presented with patchy lung opacities and ultrasound showing similar findings with pleural effusion and ascites. Radiological imaging, specially CT-Scan was highly significant for diagnosing COVID-19 and severity of infection even in patients with negative PCR. Chest X-ray and ultrasound were also found to be a very useful tool.
Highlights
Corona Virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious, infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
The study was conducted to determine the role of radiological investigation in assessing the severity of COVID-19 pneumonia with the help of chest X-ray (CXR), high resolution computed tomography (HRCT), and ultrasound
Patients with mild symptoms were followed up by chest X-ray showing mostly normal chest X-rays but only single or patches of ground glass opacity may seen on high resolution computed tomography
Summary
Corona Virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious, infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first scientific article about corona virus stated the outbreak of viral infection in Wuhan China These patients developed severe pneumonia and diagnosis was done by laboratory testing and radiological imaging. Diagnosis and severity of the diseases are most essential to prevent the spread of the diseases and to reduce morbidity and mortality Clinical presentation of this infection includes high grade fever, cough, body ache, shortness of breath and generalized fatigue [5] [6]. Since a number of cases have shown to reported false negative even though positive This is serious issue in those patients who are having symptoms of this highly contagious infectious diseases such as high grade fever, loss of sense of taste and smell, headache or body ache and shortness of breath but have been reported COVID-19-negative on RT-PCR or serological testing. Aim of this study is to determine the imaging features as most useful tool for diagnosis and assessment of severity due to this highly contagious viral disease
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