ABSTRACT
The proceedings contain 38 papers. The topics discussed include: impact of COVID-19 on a national serum eyedrops program in the UK;the impact of COVID-19 on corneal transplantation in England;crisis becomes the norm: how a non-profit network withstands the pandemic;new strategies in the Barcelona eye bank to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic;emergency salvage of time expired clinical corneas during the covid-19 pandemic;supply of non-clinical ocular tissue from a tissue and eye services research tissue bank;the donor of tomorrow: challenges posed by the pandemic, demographic change, and increased transplant requirements;growing together in diversity - Indo-German cooperation enhancing eye donation in north India;eye donation in palliative and hospice care settings: patient views and missed opportunities!;and the potential for eye donation from hospice and palliative care clinical settings in England - a retrospective case notes review of deceased patient records.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in a global health care crisis. The provision of CT imaging services by radiology departments for COVID-19 patients poses multiple challenges. Thus, the clinical indications and utility of thoracic CT, determined by whether it subsequently alters patient management, in COVID-19 patients is important to establish. Current literature is not well established specifically for the 'Delta' SARS-CoV-2 variant. Methods and Materials: This is a single tertiary hospital centre retrospective review of all consecutive confirmed COVID-19 cases admitted during the peak of the 'Delta' variant wave in Australia who underwent a chest CT. Clinical indication for chest CT and patient management plan pre and post CT were ascertained. Result(s): During this period, 1403 patients were admitted with COVID-19 and 92 patients underwent CT of the thorax, with 18 patients scanned urgently. There were 73 CTPA, 14 CT Chest and 5 HRCT studies. 20 patients were in ICU at the time of scan. Regarding the clinical indications for thoracic CT, 72.8% of studies were to evaluate for pulmonary emboli, 16.2% for assessment of COVID-19 pneumonia complications, 5.4% for tuberculosis and 6.5% for other indications. 21 (23%) of these studies resulted in a change in management with 2 patients having a major change in management (thrombolysis, CT guided aspiration) whilst 19 had minor changes. Of 73 CTPA studies, 11 (15%) patients had evidence of pulmonary embolism. 6 patients underwent a second chest CT for diverse reasons. Conclusion(s): In conclusion, 6% of patients in the cohort of COVID- 19 patients admitted to our centre during the Delta variant wave of COVID-19 in NSW, Australia underwent a CT of the thorax. In 23% of these patients, chest CT resulted in a change in management. 72.8% of chest CT scans were for the evaluation of possible pulmonary emboli. CT was not used for diagnosis or follow-up of COVID-19 in any of our patients.