COVID-19 pneumonia in the emergency department: correlation of initial chest CT findings with short-term outcome

Evaluate chest computed tomography (CT) findings of laboratory-confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and correlate it with clinical and laboratorial signs of severe disease and short-term outcome.

Chest CTs of 61 consecutive cases of COVID-19 disease that attended in our emergency department (ED) were reviewed. Three groups of patients classified according to the short-term follow-up were compared: (1) early-discharged from ED, (2) hospitalized on regular wards, and (3) admitted to intensive care unit (ICU). CT findings were also correlated with clinical and laboratorial features associated with severe disease.

Median age was 52 years (IQR 39–63) with male predominance (60.7%). Most of the patients that did not require hospitalization had parenchymal involvement of less than 25% on CT (84.6%). Among hospitalized patients, interlobular septal thickening and extensive lung disease (> 50% of parenchyma) were significantly more frequent in ICU-admitted patients (P = 0.018 and P = 0.043, respectively). Interlobular septal thickening also correlated with longer ICU stay (P = 0.018). Low oxygen saturation (SpO₂ ≤ 93%) was associated with septal thickening (P = 0.004), diffuse distribution (P = 0.016), and pleural effusion (P = 0.037) on CT. All patients with > 50% of parenchymal involvement showed SpO₂ ≤ 93%. Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (> 5.0 mg/dL) correlated with consolidation (P = 0.002), septal thickening (P = 0.018), diffuse distribution (P = 0.020), and more extensive parenchymal involvement (P = 0.017).

Interlobular septal thickening on CT was associated with ICU admission and longer stay on ICU. Diffuse distribution, septal thickening, and more extensive lung involvement correlated with lower SpO₂ and higher CRP levels. Patients that needed hospitalization and ICU admission presented more extensive lung disease on CT.