tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Infect Dev Ctries
. 2020 Jun 30;14(6):547-553.
doi: 10.3855/jidc.12992.
Improving the early diagnosis of suspected patients with COVID-19: a retrospective study of 106 patients
Xuesong Gao[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Di Yang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Zheng Yuan[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Yijin Zhang[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Hongjie Li[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Ping Gao[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Xiaomin Liu[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Wenshan Zhao[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Te Xiao[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Yanlin Guan[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Guiju Gao[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Xuefei Duan[SUP] 12 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Introduction: An outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) occurred in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. This study aimed to analyze the clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of patients with COVID-19 to better differentiate the suspected patients in Beijing, China.
Methodology: This was a retrospective, single-center study. Clinical and epidemiologic data were collected from suspected patients with COVID-19 admitted to Beijing Ditan Hospital from January 29 to February 21, 2020.
Results: One hundred and six patients (60 males and 46 females, median age 36 years) were enrolled. Thirty-six patients were ultimately laboratory confirmed. Fifty-three were excluded from the diagnosis of COVID-19. The remaining 17 patients were highly suspected, although their nucleic acid tests were repeatedly negative. The confirmed patients and highly suspected patients had a significantly higher proportion of epidemiologic history than the excluded patients (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in clinical symptoms or the underlying diseases among the three groups. The confirmed patients had a higher frequency of lymphopenia and eosinopenia than the highly suspected and excluded patients. Chest computed tomography scans showed bilateral lung involvement, and ground-glass opacity was more likely observed in the confirmed patients.
Conclusion: The clinical features of the confirmed patients with COVID-19 were insufficient for early diagnosis of COVID-19. The epidemiologic history was of great significance in the early diagnosis of COVID-19. More sensitive diagnostic methods are needed to aid the differential diagnosis of suspected patients with COVID-19.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; differential diagnosis; epidemiology.
. 2020 Jun 30;14(6):547-553.
doi: 10.3855/jidc.12992.
Improving the early diagnosis of suspected patients with COVID-19: a retrospective study of 106 patients
Xuesong Gao[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Di Yang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Zheng Yuan[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Yijin Zhang[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Hongjie Li[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Ping Gao[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Xiaomin Liu[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Wenshan Zhao[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Te Xiao[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Yanlin Guan[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Guiju Gao[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Xuefei Duan[SUP] 12 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 32683343
- DOI: 10.3855/jidc.12992
Abstract
Introduction: An outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) occurred in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. This study aimed to analyze the clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of patients with COVID-19 to better differentiate the suspected patients in Beijing, China.
Methodology: This was a retrospective, single-center study. Clinical and epidemiologic data were collected from suspected patients with COVID-19 admitted to Beijing Ditan Hospital from January 29 to February 21, 2020.
Results: One hundred and six patients (60 males and 46 females, median age 36 years) were enrolled. Thirty-six patients were ultimately laboratory confirmed. Fifty-three were excluded from the diagnosis of COVID-19. The remaining 17 patients were highly suspected, although their nucleic acid tests were repeatedly negative. The confirmed patients and highly suspected patients had a significantly higher proportion of epidemiologic history than the excluded patients (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in clinical symptoms or the underlying diseases among the three groups. The confirmed patients had a higher frequency of lymphopenia and eosinopenia than the highly suspected and excluded patients. Chest computed tomography scans showed bilateral lung involvement, and ground-glass opacity was more likely observed in the confirmed patients.
Conclusion: The clinical features of the confirmed patients with COVID-19 were insufficient for early diagnosis of COVID-19. The epidemiologic history was of great significance in the early diagnosis of COVID-19. More sensitive diagnostic methods are needed to aid the differential diagnosis of suspected patients with COVID-19.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; differential diagnosis; epidemiology.