CHENNAI: A group of doctors at the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital are currently doing a study on identifying the presence of Covid-19 infection by clinical diagnosis, prior to the RT-PCR lab test results.
The study aims to prove the accuracy of CT Scan findings over RTPCR findings, giving room for early diagnosis and treatment.
Dr Paranthaman, Professor of Medicine at KMC, who is heading the study, said that a total 300 patients are part of it which aims to identify Covid-19 very early using X-Ray, CT (Computed Tomography) -Scan and SpO2 monitoring.
"Patients who had come to hospital with low oxygen saturation, cough, fatigue, tiredness, exertion and breathlessness were taken into the study,'' Dr Paranthanam said.
Dr Paranthaman said that the methodology involves taking CT-SCAN of patients who have symptoms similar to that of Covid-19 with oxygen saturation below 90 and putting them to treatment immediately.
"Even if RT-PCR is negative, we may observe the patient as clinically positive based on CT and SpO2 findings. This observation is only for patients under an intensive care set up,'' said Dr Paranthaman.
The doctor said that this move to identify Covid-19 by clinical diagnosis would facilitate early treatment and thus, prevent mortality.
"We have an example of a patient who had severe breathing issues and he was clinically positive and was negative in RT-PCR. However, we began treatment based on CT findings, and he came out positive in the second RTPCR test subsequently,'' added Dr Paranthaman.
However, he added, if a patient continues to remain negative in subsequent PCR tests, they would be considered Covid negative in the final report but observations would state the patient required similar
treatment to that of the virus as they were clinically positive based on the findings of CT, SpO2 levels under an intensive care set up.
Since August, the Chennai Corporation has started sending symptomatic patients directly for treatment, instead of waiting for the RT-PCR test results, which may take upto 24 hours.
A top Corporation official told The New n that about 800 patients have been sent directly to government hospitals from fever camps.
Another senior doctor with the hospital, who is part of the study, said that the patients were administered steroids and supportive treatment in the early stages after their CT-Scan findings.
"If you take the past records, many patients have died within days of arrival. Thus, clinical diagnosis can be effective to stabilize their health condition from worsening even before their RT-PCR results arrive,'' said the doctor, adding that, previously, clinical diagnosis was done only after the patient was positive in RT-PCR.
Globally too, studies have shown that CT-Scan finds were much more effective than RT-PCR findings.
A study done by doctors of Mount Sinai in the United States, with a sample of 1000 patients, published in the journal 'Radiology', concluded that CT-Scan findings helped in prompt diagnosis of Covid-19, and also was more "reliable, practical and rapid".
The doctors part of the study said that they were able to find specific patterns in the lungs as markers to identify the infection.
They concluded that CT-Scan should be used as the primary screening tool for Covid-19.
Meanwhile, Dr Paranthaman said that study was showing positive results and it may be over by the end of September. "We are currently collating the data. It should be over soon,'' he said.
He said that the details of gender, age, comorbidities and clinical conditions have been recorded and is now in the process of compilation.
"We have not ruled out the option of publishing the report but the observations would be used as treatment protocols and study material,'' added Paranthaman.