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Background Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common and fatal complication of COVID-19 infection. COVID-19's main clinical manifestations are not only pneumonia but also coagulation disorders. This study evaluates the prevalence of pulmonary embolism at CT pulmonary angiography (CTA) for positive coronavirus patients as well as the factors associated with PE severity. Materials and methods This is a retrospective cross-sectional study that was conducted at King Faisal Medical Complex (KFMC) in Taif city of Saudi Arabia from June 2020 to June 2021. Data was collected from the picture archiving and communication system (PACs) for a total of 445 positive patients who underwent CT pulmonary angiography and analyzed using SPSS. Results The mean age and gender of the male were 57.3 ± 15.8 years and 64.5%, respectively. The prevalence of pulmonary embolism at CTA among patients with COVID-19 was found to be 8.1%. Bilateral segmental and bilateral subsegmental pulmonary embolism were found to be the most common sites for PE (16.7% for each). Furthermore, shortness of breath (SOB) was found to be the most common reported symptom among the respondents. Lastly, shortness of breath, chest pain, loss of taste or smell, D-dimer, and cardiac troponin were found to be significantly associated with PE (P-value = < 0.001, <0.001, 0.001, <0.001 and 0.037 respectively). Conclusion Present results show that the prevalence of pulmonary embolism among COVID19 patients with CT Pulmonary Angiography at KFMC is relatively low (8.1%) and most of the patients were from the ICU department. Early detection and treatment of COVID-19 patients with PE and APE complications are critical for lowering the mortality rate.
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COVID-19 has had a significant impact on global health systems. The aim of this study was to evaluate how imaging volumes and imaging types in radiology departments have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic across different locations. METHODS: Imaging volumes in the Aseer region (in the south of Saudi Arabia) across main hospitals were reviewed retrospectively including all cases referred from different locations (outpatient, inpatient and emergency departments). Data for years 2019 and 2020 were compared. The mean monthly cases were compared using a t-test. RESULTS: The total imaging volumes in 2019 were 205,805 compared to 159,107 in 2020 with a 22.7% overall reduction. A substantial decline was observed in both the April to June and the July to September periods of approximately 42.9% and 44.4%, respectively. With respect to location, between April and June, the greatest decline was observed in outpatient departments (76% decline), followed by emergency departments (25% decline), and the least impact was observed in inpatient departments, with only 6.8% decline over the same period. According to modality type, the greatest decreases were reported in nuclear medicine, ultrasound, MRI, and mammography, by 100%, 76%, 74%, and 66%, respectively. Our results show a statistically significant (p-value ≤ 0.05) decrease of cases in 2020 compared to 2019, except for mammography procedures. CONCLUSION: There has been a significant decline in radiology volumes due to COVID-19. The overall reduction in radiology volumes was dependent on the stage/period of lockdown, location, and imaging modality.
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Due to the contagious nature of the COVID-19 virus, healthcare workers are at a great risk of infection. Since medical imaging plays a significant part in the healthcare system and is often used in the diagnosis of potential COVID-19 patients, the radiology personnel are at a very high risk of becoming infected. PURPOSE: This study aims to assess the enforcement of infection control guidelines for patients with COVID-19 during medical imaging procedures and raise awareness of infection control in different hospitals in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A total of 128 responses were collected from four hospitals across Saudi Arabia using a new structured questionnaire, which was created for health workers by the WHO specifically for this purpose. Data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020. RESULTS: Most participants correctly followed the guidelines of the WHO and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on infection control in the X-ray and general radiology departments. Guideline awareness was higher among magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computerised tomography (CT) radiographers, which reduced the risk of future infections. Out of the total respondents, 98.4% stated that they had received formal training in hand hygiene. Only 40.6% of participants, however, knew that respiratory droplets are the primary mode of transmission of the virus from person to person. CONCLUSION: The knowledge of healthcare professionals in the radiology department regarding infection control needs to be continually assessed. A focus on educational interventions on infection control is required in order to maintain well-informed medical staff.