Your browser doesn't support javascript.
Developing a Screening Procedure During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Process and Challenges Faced by a Low-Incidence Area.
Tang, Wei; Wang, Fei; Wang, Jian-Wei; Huang, Yao; Liu, Li; Zhao, Shi-Jun; Zhao, Xin-Ming; Wu, Ning.
  • Tang W; Department of Diagnostic Radiology, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
  • Wang F; Office of Cancer Screening, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
  • Wang JW; Department of Diagnostic Radiology, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
  • Huang Y; Department of Diagnostic Radiology, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
  • Liu L; Department of Diagnostic Radiology, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
  • Zhao SJ; Department of Diagnostic Radiology, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
  • Zhao XM; Department of Diagnostic Radiology, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
  • Wu N; Department of Diagnostic Radiology, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Front Med (Lausanne) ; 8: 654754, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1638235
ABSTRACT

Purpose:

To summarize the imaging results of COVID-19 pneumonia and develop a computerized tomography (CT) screening procedure for patients at our institution with malignant tumors.

Methods:

Following epidemiological investigation, 1,429 patients preparing to undergo anti-tumor-treatment underwent CT scans between February 17 and April 16, 2020. When CT findings showed suspected COVID-19 pneumonia after the supervisor radiologist and the thoracic experience radiologist had double-read the initial CT images, radiologists would report the result to our hospital infection control staff. Further necessary examinations, including the RT-PCR test, in the assigned hospital was strongly recommended for patients with positive CT results. The CT examination room would perform sterilization for 30 min to 1 h. If the negative results of any suspected COVID-19 pneumonia CT findings were identified, the radiologists would upload the results to our Hospital Information Systems and inform clinicians within 2 h.

Results:

Fifty (0.35%, 50/1,429) suspected pneumonia cases, including 29 males and 21 females (median age 59.5 years old; age range 27-79 years), were identified. A total of 34.0% (17/50) of the patients had a history of lung cancer and 54.0 (27/50) underwent chemotherapy or targeted therapy. Forty-six patients (92.0%) had prior CT scans, and 35 patients (76.1%) with suspected pneumonia were newly seen (median interval time 62 days). Sub-pleura small patchy or strip-like lesions most likely due to fibrosis or hypostatic pneumonia and cluster of nodular lesions were the two main signs of suspected cases on CT images (34, 68.0%). Twenty-seven patients (54.0%) had, at least once, follow-up CT scan (median interval time 18.0 days). Only one patient had an increase in size (interval time 8 days), the immediately RT-PCR test result was negative.

Conclusion:

CT may be useful as a screening tool for COVID-19 based on imaging features. But the differential diagnosis between COVID-19 and other pulmonary infection and/or non-infectious disease is very difficult due to its overlapping imaging features.The confirmed diagnosis of the COVID-19 infection should be based on the etiologic eventually. The cancer patients at a low-incidence area would continue treatment by screening carefully before admission.
Keywords

Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Type of study: Cohort study / Diagnostic study / Etiology study / Observational study / Prognostic study Language: English Journal: Front Med (Lausanne) Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Fmed.2021.654754

Similar

MEDLINE

...
LILACS

LIS


Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Type of study: Cohort study / Diagnostic study / Etiology study / Observational study / Prognostic study Language: English Journal: Front Med (Lausanne) Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Fmed.2021.654754