SHORT COMMUNICATION   

Journal of Radiological Review 2022 March;9(1):18-9

DOI: 10.23736/S2723-9284.21.00163-6

Copyright © 2021 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Contribution of radiologists in the management of COVID-19 pandemic

Ivan NOSCHESE ¹, Divina D’AURIA ¹ ✉, Michela CARFORA ², Gianluigi DE ROSA ², Loredana DI NUZZO ², Fabio PINTO ²

¹ Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; ² Department of Radiology, Maddaloni COVID Hospital, Maddaloni, Caserta, Italy

We address the role of the radiologists in order to contribute to the best management of patients referred with COVID-19 infection. In our experience, based on different CT lung patterns in different stages of COVID-19 disease and according to the extent of lung infection, we applied a CT Severity Index score prospecting a better prognostic evaluation for all patients with a CT score lower than 11, which were considered to be at low risk for Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and generally reported need for oxygen without positive pressure ventilation. On the other hand, all patients with a CT Severity Index score higher than 18 were at high risk for ICU recovery, often showing the need for intubation and had a high mortality risk.

KEY WORDS: Tomography, X-ray computed; COVID-19; Pneumonia; Lung; SARS-CoV-2