Covid-19: Correlation of Early Chest Computed Tomography Findings With the Course of Disease

Abstract

Objective 

To investigate the role of chest computed tomography (CT) examinations acquired early after initial onset of symptoms in predicting disease course in coronavirus disease 2019.

Methods 

Two hundred sixty-two patients were categorized according to intensive care unit (ICU) admission, survival, length of hospital stay, and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction positivity. Mean time interval between the onset of symptoms and CT scan was 5.2 ± 2.3 days. Groups were compared using Student t test, Mann-Whitney U, and Fisher exact tests.

Results 

In the ICU (+) and died groups, crazy paving (64% and 57.1%), bronchus distortion (68% and 66.7%), bronchiectasis-bronchiolectasis (80% and 76.2%), air trapping (52% and 52.4%) and mediastinal-hilar lymph node enlargement (52% and 52.4%) were significantly more encountered (P < 0,05). These findings were correlated with longer hospital stays (P < 0.05). There were no differences between reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction-positive and -negative patients except bronchiectasis-bronchiolectasis.

Conclusion 

Computed tomography examinations performed early after the onset of symptoms may help in predicting disease course and planning of resources, such as ICU beds.