Diagnostic Yield of CT Pulmonary Angiography in the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Embolism during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Single Center Experience

Webinar on 13^th Annual Congress on Pulmonology & Respiratory Medicine

February 24-25, 2022 | Webinar

Rajalakshmi Ramesh

Western Australia, Australia

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Pulm Respir Med

Abstract :

Pulmonary embolism (PE) represents a common suspected diagnosis in the emergency department (ED), and is associated with significant mortality and morbidity. The diagnosis of pulmonary embolism is facilitated by computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA). Since December 2019, the world has faced a rapidly expanding pandemic by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2), the clinical syndrome of which is referred to as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). As such, there is now emerging data on the CTPA positive diagnostic yield during such a pandemic. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess CTPA positive yield rate for PE during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Western Australian tertiary hospital center: Fiona Stanley Hospital. This retrospective observational study included all patients presenting to FSH ED with suspected PE and in whom a CTPA was performed between the periods of 1 January to 31 May in both 2019 and 2020. Positive Diagnostic Yield (%) was defined as all CTPA studies positive for PE divided by all CTPA studies performed for acute PE in the ED, times 100. This study found a Positive Diagnostic Yield rate of 17.2% in 2019 and 17.9% in 2020. This suggests minimal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the CTPA positive diagnostic yield for PE.

Biography :

Rajalakshmi Ramesh is a current trainee of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists, and is currently completing her training in Western Australia.