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Case Reports
. 2021 Jan 19:14:145-149.
doi: 10.2147/JMDH.S293601. eCollection 2021.

RT-PCR Combined with CT Examination in the Diagnosis and Prognosis Evaluation of COVID-19 Patients in Fangcang Hospital: A Case Series

Jun-Fei Zhang #  1 , Jia Liu #  2 , Han-Ning Ma  1 , Ke Feng  1 , Zhong-Wei Chen  1 , Li-Shan Yang  1 , Bin Mei  3 , Jun-Jian Zhang  4
Affiliations
Case Reports

RT-PCR Combined with CT Examination in the Diagnosis and Prognosis Evaluation of COVID-19 Patients in Fangcang Hospital: A Case Series

Jun-Fei Zhang et al. J Multidiscip Healthc. .

Abstract

Rationale: Currently, the "gold standard" is real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification of the viral DNA for diagnosis of COVID-19 infection. However, early reports of test performance in the Wuhan outbreak showed variable sensitivities. Therefore, the simple use of RT-PCR as a discharge standard for COVID-19 patients may be risky. Early discussions suggested that CT should be the preferred modality for the diagnosis of COVID-19. However, the use of CT for COVID-19 discharge is controversial. In the Fangcang hospital, we performed multiple nucleic acid tests and chest CT examinations in all patients. For discharged patients, we performed multiple nucleic acid tests and chest CT scans on the basis of discharge standards to minimize the incidence of false negatives in nucleic acid tests.

Patient concerns: Two 42-year-old male patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 were treated in the Fangcang Hospital According to the treatment, one patient was cured and discharged, while the other patient was sent to a higher-level hospital for further treatment.

Diagnoses: Real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction amplification of the viral DNA for diagnosis of COVID-19 infection.

Interventions: The patients received Chinese medicine and antiviral treatment in the Fangcang Hospital.

Outcomes: At follow-up, both patients were cured after treatment and returned to normal life after 2 weeks of home isolation and a negative nucleic acid test.

Lessons: The use of nucleic acid testing combined with chest CT examination can quickly diagnose patients with COVID-19 infection and evaluate their treatment in the Fangcang Hospital.

Keywords: COVID-19; CT; Fangcang Hospital; case report.

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Conflict of interest statement

All of the authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest for this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The flow chart of confirmed patients admitted into Dongxihu Fangcang Hospital.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Case 1: Results of the patient’s COVID-19 pneumonia nucleic acid detection and chest CT results.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Case 2: Results of the patient’s COVID-19 pneumonia nucleic acid detection and chest CT.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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