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Comparison of Rapid Antibody Test and Thorax Computed Tomography Results in Patients who Underwent RT-PCR with the Pre-Diagnosis of COVID-19

Int J Clin Pract. 2021 Jun 13:e14524. doi: 10.1111/ijcp.14524. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: In this study, it is planned to compare the RT-PCR test, which is the gold standard in the diagnosis of COVID-19, with Thorax computed tomography (CT) and rapid antibody test results.

METHODS: Patients who were admitted to the emergency service of İzmir Çiğli Training and Research Hospital between 01.04.2020 and 31.05.2020 and who were suspected of having COVID-19 infection were included in the study. The medical records of the patients were retrospectively analyzed through the hospital data processing database. Age, gender, hospitalization, status of home quarantine, real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), thorax CT and rapid antibody test results of the patients were examined. The relationship between RT-PCR, thorax CT and rapid antibody test results were compared statistically.

RESULTS: A total of 181 patients, 115 (63.5%) male and 66 (36.5%) female, with an average age of 56.4 ± 18.06 years were included in the study. The nasopharyngeal swab PCR result obtained at the first admission of the patients to the emergency department was positive in 71 (39.2%) patients. Rapid antibody tests performed at hospital admission were positive in 57 (31.5%) patients. Thorax CT was performed in 173 (95.6%) patients who applied to the emergency department, and 112 (64.7%) of them had findings that could be compatible with COVID-19. According to the thorax CT findings in patients, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for detecting COVID-19 infection were respectively; 76.1%, 43.1%, 48.2% and 72.1% (ĸ: 0.176, p <0.001). According to the rapid antibody test results, sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for detecting COVID-19 infection were 57.5%, 85.5%, 71.9% and 75.8%, respectively (ĸ: 0.448, p <0.001). In our study, the mortality rate for COVID-19 was found to be 2.8%.

CONCLUSION: Rapid antibody test and thorax CT examinations were found to have low diagnostic value in patients who admitted to the emergency department of our hospital and whose first RT-PCR SARS-CoV-2 test was positive. Studies involving larger patient groups are needed for their use alone in diagnosis and screening.

PMID:34120388 | DOI:10.1111/ijcp.14524

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