Utility of RT-PCR versus electronic track and trace system for pre-procedural COVID-19 screening- a retrospective cohort study
Background and aims
COVID-19 has disrupted the patient workflow in all healthcare settings. Procedures such as bronchoscopy and spirometry require additional pre-procedure screening for SARS-CoV-2. However, there is uncertainty regarding the utility of this universal pre-procedure screening. The State of Qatar has a robust contact tracing system in place in the form of the mobile application ‘Ehteraz.' This study assesses the utility of various pre-procedural screening measures in asymptomatic patients and generate recommendations for any potential improvement in the workflow.
Methods
This is a cross-sectional study of asymptomatic patients who had SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR screening performed before bronchoscopy or lung function testing scheduled on an elective basis. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize and determine the sample characteristics. The rate of the positive PCR test result was subsequently calculated.
Results
Two patients (0.34%) tested positive for COVID-19 on their pre-procedural screen. Four patients (0.68%) had an inconclusive result.
Conclusion
The positivity rate of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR is extremely low in asymptomatic individuals screened before bronchoscopy and spirometry. The authors recommend pre-procedural symptom and electronic application-based contact screening instead of universal pre-procedural SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR for screening asymptomatic individuals.
Other Information
Published in: Heliyon
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
See article on publisher's website: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15379
Funding
Open Access funding provided by the Qatar National Library.
History
Language
- English
Publisher
ElsevierPublication Year
- 2023
License statement
This Item is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.Institution affiliated with
- Hamad Medical Corporation
- Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar