ABSTRACT

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the correlation between nucleic acid amplification test (real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, RT-PCR) positivity of patients presenting with suspected COVID-19 and pneumonic infiltration consistent with COVID-19-specific pneumonia diagnosis on thoracic computed tomography (CT), with symptoms, laboratory findings, and clinical progression.

Methods: The study included 286 patients (female:male 131:155; mean age, 53.3 ± 17.9 years) who were divided into two groups according to their RT-PCR test results. The symptoms, laboratory examinations, clinical findings, and thoracic CT imaging of the patients were evaluated.

Results: While the physical examination, comorbidities, and total CT scores were similar between the groups, taste/smell abnormalities were observed more frequently in the PCR-positive group. The use of moxifloxacin, lopinavir/ritonavir, and tocilizumab was higher in the PCR-positive group (p = 0.016, p < 0.001, and p = 0.002, respectively). The duration of hospitalization, intensive care requirement, and mortality rate of the studied groups did not differ between the groups.

Conclusions: Among patients presenting with suspected COVID-19 and pneumonic infiltration consistent with COVID-19 on thoracic CT, the symptoms, physical examination, total CT scores, duration of hospitalization, intensive care requirement, and mortality rate were similar between RT-PCR-positive and RT-PCR-negative patients. However, PCR-positive patients appeared to require more specific treatments.

摘要

简介：这项研究旨在评估疑似COVID-19的患者的核酸扩增试验（实时逆转录-聚合酶链反应，RT-PCR）阳性与肺炎浸润（与COVID-19特异性肺炎诊断一致）之间的相关性在胸部计算机断层扫描（CT）上进行，包括症状，实验室检查结果和临床进展。

方法：该研究纳入了286例患者（女：男131：155；平均年龄：53.3±17.9岁），根据其RT-PCR测试结果分为两组。对患者的症状，实验室检查，临床发现和胸部CT成像进行了评估。

结果：尽管两组之间的体格检查，合并症和总CT评分相似，但PCR阳性组中的味觉/气味异常更为常见。在PCR阳性组中莫西沙星，洛匹那韦/利托那韦和托珠单抗的使用率更高（分别为p = 0.016，p <0.001和p = 0.002）。研究组的住院时间，重症监护需要和死亡率没有差异。

结论：在胸部CT表现为疑似COVID-19和肺炎浸润与COVID-19一致的患者中，症状，体格检查，CT总评分，住院时间，重症监护要求和死亡率相似。阳性和RT-PCR阴性的患者。但是，PCR阳性的患者似乎需要更具体的治疗。