Chest CT Findings and SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Trauma Patients-Is There a Prediction towards Higher Complication Rates?

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Polytrauma patients with SARS-CoV-2 infections may be associated with an increased complication rate. The main goal of this study was to analyze the clinical course of trauma patients with COVID infection and a positive CT finding. METHODS: This was a retrospective in-hospital study. Polytrauma patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infections were included in our analysis. The outcome parameters were pulmonary complication during admission, pulmonary embolism, pleural effusion, pneumonia, mortality, length of stay and readmission < 30 days. RESULTS: 48 patients were included in the study. Trauma patients in the age-adjusted matched-pair analysis with typical changes in SARS-CoV-2 infection in CT findings showed significantly more pulmonary complications in general and significantly more cases of pneumonia (complications 56% vs. 11%, p = 0.046; pneumonia 44% vs. 0%, p = 0.023). In addition, the clinical course of polytrauma patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection showed a high rate of pulmonary complications in the inpatient course (53%). CONCLUSION: The results of our study show that the changes in the CT findings of trauma patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection are a good indicator of further inpatient outcomes. Similarly, polytrauma patients with a SARS-CoV-2 infection and positive CT findings are shown to have increased risk for pulmonary complications.