The role of imaging and other diagnostic approaches in COVID-19

The role of imaging and other diagnostic approaches in COVID-19

Authors

  • Rohma Shammus Department of Medicine, St. George’s University of London
  • Samiha Mahbub Department of Medicine, St. George’s University of London
  • Muhammad Atif Rauf Department of Medicine, St. George’s University of London
  • Amer Harky a:1:{s:5:"en_US";s:22:"Cardiothoracic Surgery";}
DOI: https://doi.org/10.23750/abm.v91i3.9822

Keywords:

COVID-19, Biomarkers

Abstract

As the COVID 19 pandemic develops across the globe, a large amount of literature has been written about the different ways in which we can diagnose and investigate someone suspected of being infected with the new coronavirus. Many approaches highlight the importance of using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) used in conjunction with computed tomography (CT) scans. Whilst CT scans have been shown to be useful, there are multiple risks associated with them, for example radiation exposure and the transmission risk associated with repeated use of a CT suite. Therefore, it is important to analyse their diagnostic ability and limitations and to consider other methods of diagnosing COVID 19. Additionally, RT-PCR testing can have significant rates of false negatives, indicating the importance of taking a more comprehensive diagnostic approach. Here, we aim to review and analyse this literature to compare RT-PCR, serum inflammatory biomarkers, chest radiographs, ultrasound and chest CT scanning as methods of diagnosing COVID 19, particularly in asymptomatic patients.

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Published

07-09-2020

Issue

Vol. 91 No. 3 (2020): COVID-19 Update

Section

REVIEWS/FOCUS ON - SPECIAL COVID19

License

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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How to Cite

1.
Shammus R, Mahbub S, Rauf MA, Harky A. The role of imaging and other diagnostic approaches in COVID-19 . Acta Biomed. 2020;91(3):e2020019. doi:10.23750/abm.v91i3.9822
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