Improving the early diagnosis of suspected patients with COVID-19: a retrospective study of 106 patients
Introduction: An outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) occurred in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. This study aimed to analyze the clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of patients with COVID-19 to better differentiate the suspected patients in Beijing, China. Methodology: This was...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
2020-06-01
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| Series: | Journal of Infection in Developing Countries |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/12992 |
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| Summary: | Introduction: An outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) occurred in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. This study aimed to analyze the clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of patients with COVID-19 to better differentiate the suspected patients in Beijing, China.
Methodology: This was a retrospective, single-center study. Clinical and epidemiologic data were collected from suspected patients with COVID-19 admitted to Beijing Ditan Hospital from January 29 to February 21, 2020.
Results: One hundred and six patients (60 males and 46 females, median age 36 years) were enrolled. Thirty-six patients were ultimately laboratory confirmed. Fifty-three were excluded from the diagnosis of COVID-19. The remaining 17 patients were highly suspected, although their nucleic acid tests were repeatedly negative. The confirmed patients and highly suspected patients had a significantly higher proportion of epidemiologic history than the excluded patients (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in clinical symptoms or the underlying diseases among the three groups. The confirmed patients had a higher frequency of lymphopenia and eosinopenia than the highly suspected and excluded patients. Chest computed tomography scans showed bilateral lung involvement, and ground-glass opacity was more likely observed in the confirmed patients.
Conclusion: The clinical features of the confirmed patients with COVID-19 were insufficient for early diagnosis of COVID-19. The epidemiologic history was of great significance in the early diagnosis of COVID-19. More sensitive diagnostic methods are needed to aid the differential diagnosis of suspected patients with COVID-19.
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| ISSN: | 1972-2680 |