The study was conducted to determine the role of radiological investigation in assessing the severity of COVID-19 pneumonia with the help of chest X-ray (CXR), high resolution computed tomography (HRCT), and ultrasound. This was a retrospective study conducted on 105 COVID-19 patients with symptoms of fever, cough, dyspnea, loss of sense of smell and taste, body ache. Diagnostic tests PCR were positive for COVID-19 included from Medicare Cardiac and General Hospital and Jinnah Medical College Hospital Korangi (JMCH) from April to November 2020. Written informed consent was taken from all participants. This study was approved by ethical review committee, Jinnah Medical & Dental College. Real time-PCR (RT-PCR) was done for the confirmation. Radiological imaging including Chest X-ray, HRCT chest, and ultrasound was done to study the severity of symptoms. Sixty-five patients had mild to moderate symptoms with oxygen saturation between 96% - 98% and 30 patients with severe pneumonia had between saturation 50% - 55%. Patients with mild symptoms were followed up by chest X-ray showing mostly normal chest X-rays but single or patches of ground glass opacities (HRCT). HRCT of 10 patients with low oxygen saturation 50% were already done showing bilateral peripheral patchy consolidation predominantly involving mid and lower lobes. 3 patients presented with patchy lung opacities and ultrasound showing similar findings with pleural effusion and ascites. Radiological imaging, specially CT-Scan was highly significant for diagnosing COVID-19 and severity of infection even in patients with negative PCR. Chest X-ray and ultrasound were also found to be a very useful tool.
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