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Predictors of the chest CT score in COVID-19 patients: A cross-sectional study
  • +12
  • Niloofar Ayoobi Yazdi,
  • Abdolkarim Hajighadery,
  • SeyedAhmad Seyedalinaghi,
  • Fatemeh Jafari,
  • Sirous Jafari,
  • Malihe Hasannezad,
  • Hamid Emadi Koochak,
  • Mohammadreza Salehi,
  • Seyed Ali Dehghan Manshadi,
  • Mohsen Meidani,
  • Mahboubeh Hajiabdolbaghi,
  • Zahra Ahmadinejad,
  • Hossein Khalili,
  • Mohammad-Mehdi Mehrabinejad,
  • ladan abbasian
Niloofar Ayoobi Yazdi
Tehran University of Medical Sciences
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Abdolkarim Hajighadery
Tehran University of Medical Sciences
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SeyedAhmad Seyedalinaghi
Tehran University of Medical Sciences
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Fatemeh Jafari
Tehran University of Medical Sciences
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Sirous Jafari
Tehran University of Medical Sciences
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Malihe Hasannezad
Tehran University of Medical Sciences
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Hamid Emadi Koochak
Tehran University of Medical Sciences
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Mohammadreza Salehi
Tehran University of Medical Sciences
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Seyed Ali Dehghan Manshadi
Tehran University of Medical Sciences
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Mohsen Meidani
Tehran University of Medical Sciences
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Mahboubeh Hajiabdolbaghi
Tehran University of Medical Sciences
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Zahra Ahmadinejad
Tehran University of Medical Sciences
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Hossein Khalili
Tehran University of Medical Sciences
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Mohammad-Mehdi Mehrabinejad
Tehran University of Medical Sciences
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ladan abbasian
Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Abstract

Background: Since the COVID-19 outbreak, pulmonary involvement was one of the most significant concerns in assessing patients. In the current study, we evaluated patient’s clinical and laboratory findings on the first visit to predict the severity of pulmonary involvement and their outcome. Methods: Four hundred seventy-eight COVID-19 patients with positive real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or highly suggestive symptoms with computed tomography(CT) imaging results with typical findings of COVID-19 were enrolled in the study. The clinical features, initial laboratory, CT findings, and short-term outcomes (ICU admission, mortality, length of hospitalization, and recovery time) were recorded. In addition, the severity of pulmonary involvement was assessed using a semi-quantitative scoring system (0-25). Results: Among 478 participants in this study, 353 (73.6%) were admitted to the hospital, and 57 (11.9%) patients were admitted to the ICU. A review of chest CT scans showed that Ground Glass Opacity (GGO) (58.5%) and consolidation (20.7%) were the most patterns of lung lesions. Among initial clinical and laboratory findings, anosmia (P = 0.01), respiratory rate (RR) ≥ 25 (P = 0.001), C-reactive protein (CRP) ≥ 91 (P = 0.002), white Blood Cell (WBC) >10,000 (P = 0.009), and SpO2 ≥ 93 (P = 0.04) was associated with higher chest CT score. Lung involvement and consolidation lesions on chest CT scans were also associated with more extended hospitalization and recovery period. Conclusions: Initial assessment of COVID-19 patients, including symptoms, vital signs, and routine laboratory tests, can predict the severity of lung involvement and unfavorable outcomes.