Objective: In the present study, we compare Computed Tomography (CT) findings reported according to the Radiology Society of North America (RSNA) criteria and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results to eval-uate their clinical compatibility with the diagnosis and for making the decision on hospitalization or discharge in patients presenting to the emergency department with the suspected Coronavirus disease (COVID)-19.
Materials and Methods: This is retrospective single-center study. Over the age of 18 years, patients were included, preg-nant and trauma patients were excluded from the study. The patients’ demographic characteristics, and their RT-PCR test, thoracic CT images results, and outcomes were recorded.
Results: Our study was conducted with 1377 patients, of which 60.2% (n=829) were male with a mean age of 42.79±16.07 (13–95) years. The sensitivity and specificity of the thoracic CT and RT-PCR test in diagnosis were, based on the first and second test results, the sensitivity was 63.34% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.586–0.679) and the specificity was 81.08% (95% CI, 0.784–0835) for CT, and the sensitivity was 71.93% (95% CI, 0.674–0.761) for RT-PCR. Thoracic CT incompat-ible with COVID-19 and discharged 63.7% of patients did not apply to other healthcare facilities with COVID-19 symptoms.
Conclusion: The most effective approach to early diagnosis and the initiation of treatment is still the patient’s clinical picture and thoracic CT findings, as seen in the present study. The assessment of thoracic CT in accordance with the RSNA criteria can be considered a convenient approach for clinicians in the emergency department when deciding on hospitalization or discharge.