tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Ann Acad Med Singap
. 2020 Jul;49(7):456-461.
Chest Radiography in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Correlation with Clinical Course
Joel C Zhou[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Terrence Ch Hui, Cher Heng Tan, Hau Wei Khoo, Barnaby E Young, David C Lye, Yeong Shyan Lee, Gregory Jl Kaw
Affiliations
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11 March 2020. A definitive diagnosis of COVID-19 is made after a positive result is obtained on reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay. In Singapore, rigorous contact tracing was practised to contain the spread of the virus. Nasal swabs and chest radiographs (CXR) were also taken from individuals who were suspected to be infected by COVID-19 upon their arrival at a centralised screening centre. From our experience, about 40% of patients who tested positive for COVID-19 had initial CXR that appeared "normal". In this case series, we described the temporal evolution of COVID-19 in patients with an initial "normal" CXR. Since CXR has limited sensitivity and specificity in COVID-19, it is not suitable as a first-line diagnostic tool. However, when CXR changes become unequivocally abnormal, close monitoring is recommended to manage potentially severe COVID-19 pneumonia.
. 2020 Jul;49(7):456-461.
Chest Radiography in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Correlation with Clinical Course
Joel C Zhou[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Terrence Ch Hui, Cher Heng Tan, Hau Wei Khoo, Barnaby E Young, David C Lye, Yeong Shyan Lee, Gregory Jl Kaw
Affiliations
- PMID: 33000108
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11 March 2020. A definitive diagnosis of COVID-19 is made after a positive result is obtained on reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay. In Singapore, rigorous contact tracing was practised to contain the spread of the virus. Nasal swabs and chest radiographs (CXR) were also taken from individuals who were suspected to be infected by COVID-19 upon their arrival at a centralised screening centre. From our experience, about 40% of patients who tested positive for COVID-19 had initial CXR that appeared "normal". In this case series, we described the temporal evolution of COVID-19 in patients with an initial "normal" CXR. Since CXR has limited sensitivity and specificity in COVID-19, it is not suitable as a first-line diagnostic tool. However, when CXR changes become unequivocally abnormal, close monitoring is recommended to manage potentially severe COVID-19 pneumonia.