A man in his eighties with gait problems and elevated CRP. / En mann i 80-årene med gangvansker og høy CRP-verdi.
Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen
; 141(2021-14)2021 10 12.
Article
in Norwegian
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1528950
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Rapid detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in hospitals is essential for early isolation and treatment. However, false positive test results can have adverse consequences for patient safety. CASE PRESENTATION A man in his eighties was admitted to hospital with fatigue and new-onset gait and balance difficulties, without fever or symptoms of focal infection, but with elevated C-reactive protein. On admission, he tested positive on screening for SARS-CoV-2 using a fully automated rapid reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test. He was placed together with two patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection in cohort isolation. Due to very low exposure risk and nonspecific symptoms, the primary and multiple subsequent test swabs were analysed using RT-PCR analyses guided by laboratory personnel, and all gave negative results. The patient had several risk factors for developing severe COVID-19 illness, but fortunately he remained COVID-19 negative on repeated tests.INTERPRETATION:
The case presentation highlights the danger of false-positive SARS-CoV-2 test results, and the importance of interpreting a diagnostic test in the context of pretest probability and test accuracy. It also underlines the risk of using cohort isolation instead of individual isolation.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Walking
/
Mobility Limitation
Type of study:
Cohort study
/
Diagnostic study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Humans
/
Male
Language:
Norwegian
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
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