1. The relationship between positivity for COVID-19 RT-PCR and symptoms, clinical findings, and mortality in Turkey
- Author
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Erkan Ozcan, Mehmet Sami Islamoglu, Serap Yavuzer, Omer Faruk Unal, Suna Koc, Hakan Yavuzer, Yunus Emre Akpinar, Hande Ikitimur, Mahir Cengiz, Betul Borku Uysal, Serhat Seyhan, and Tıp Fakültesi
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Adult ,Male ,2019-20 coronavirus outbreak ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,Turkey ,Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ,Moxifloxacin ,SARS CoV-2 ,Comorbidity ,Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ,Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ,Lopinavir ,Pathology and Forensic Medicine ,03 medical and health sciences ,Olfaction Disorders ,Taste Disorders ,0302 clinical medicine ,Genetics ,Medicine ,Humans ,pneumonia ,Molecular Biology ,Aged ,Original Research ,Aged, 80 and over ,Ritonavir ,business.industry ,COVID-19 ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Virology ,COVID-19 Drug Treatment ,Pneumonia ,030104 developmental biology ,Real-time polymerase chain reaction ,COVID-19 RT-PCR ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Testing ,Nucleic acid ,Molecular Medicine ,Female ,Radiography, Thoracic ,business ,Tomography, X-Ray Computed ,Research Article - 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.
- Published
- 2021