. Arnab Banerjee; . Olivia Mukhopadhyay; . Ranjita Santra; . Anuran Bhadury; . Sirshendu Chaudhuri
Volume 12, Issue 9 , October 2022, , Pages 1-6
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Diagnostic dilemma arises when patients with clinical suspicion of COVID‑19disease having moderate‑to‑severe respiratory symptoms yield negative result for COVID‑19 ...
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BACKGROUND: Diagnostic dilemma arises when patients with clinical suspicion of COVID‑19disease having moderate‑to‑severe respiratory symptoms yield negative result for COVID‑19 inreverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‑PCR). This study evaluated the clinical, laboratoryand HRCT thorax findings among RT‑PCR‑negative COVID‑19 suspects with moderate‑to‑severedisease.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A hospital‑based retrospective observational study was conductedbetween July 2021 to December 2021, among 60 moderate and severe symptomatic COVID‑19suspects admitted in the severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) ward and intensive care unit (ICU),who were negative for COVID‑19 in RT‑PCR. Data were abstracted from the medical records sectionof the hospital using a predesigned data abstraction form and presented by descriptive statistics.RESULTS: Mean age of study participants was 55.5 years (SD 14.1 years), and majority weremales (n = 43, 71.7%). Common presenting symptoms were fever (n = 60, 100%), dyspnea(n = 57, 95%), and cough (n = 54, 90%). The common laboratory findings were rise of C‑reactiveprotein (n = 60, 100%), NLR (n = 49, 81.7%), d‑dimer (n = 47, 78.3%), ferritin (n = 46, 76.7%), andLDH (n = 40, 66.7%). HRCT scan of thorax revealed ground glass opacities with or without consolidationslocated bilaterally with diffuse or peripheral distribution, interlobar septal thickening (n = 43, 74.1%),vascular thickening (n = 35, ≥58.3%), and sub‑pleural lines (n = 32, 53.3%). Median CT‑SS valuewas 15 (IQR 11–19), and majority (n = 56, 93.3%) belonged to CO‑RADS ≥4.CONCLUSION: Diagnosis of COVID‑19 can be presumed in RT‑PCR‑negative suspectedCOVID‑19 patients with moderate‑to‑severe disease, with marked rise of inflammatory markers andHRCT revealing typical findings of COVID‑19 pneumonia.
