Comparison of rapid antibody test and thorax computed tomography results in patients who underwent RT‐PCR with the pre‐diagnosis of COVID‐19

Kızıloglu, Ilker; Sener, Aslı; Siliv, Neslihan

INTRODUCTION: In this study, it is planned to compare the real‐time reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) test, which is the gold standard in the diagnosis of COVID‐19, with thorax computed tomography (CT) and rapid antibody test results. METHODS: Patients who were admitted to the emergency service of İzmir Çiğli Training and Research Hospital between 01.04.2020 and 31.05.2020 and who were suspected of having COVID‐19 infection were included in the study. The medical records of the patients were retrospectively analysed through the hospital data processing database. Age, gender, hospitalisation, status of home quarantine, real‐time RT‐PCR, thorax CT and rapid antibody test results of the patients were examined. The relationship between RT‐PCR, thorax CT and rapid antibody test results was compared statistically. RESULTS: A total of 181 patients, 115 (63.5%) male and 66 (36.5%) female, with an average age of 56.4 ± 18.06 years were included in the study. The nasopharyngeal swab PCR result obtained at the first admission of the patients to the emergency department was positive in 71 (39.2%) patients. Rapid antibody tests performed at hospital admission were positive in 57 (31.5%) patients. Thorax CT was performed in 173 (95.6%) patients who applied to the emergency department, and 112 (64.7%) of them had findings that could be compatible with COVID‐19. According to the thorax CT findings in patients, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for detecting COVID‐19 infection were, respectively, 76.1%, 43.1%, 48.2% and 72.1% (ĸ: 0.176, P < .001). According to the rapid antibody test results, sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for detecting COVID‐19 infection were 57.5%, 85.5%, 71.9% and 75.8%, respectively (ĸ: 0.448, P < .001). In our study, the mortality rate for COVID‐19 was found to be 2.8%. CONCLUSION: Rapid antibody test and thorax CT examinations were found to have low diagnostic value in patients who admitted to the emergency department of our hospital and whose first RT‐PCR SARS‐CoV‐2 test was positive. Studies involving larger patient groups are needed for their use alone in diagnosis and screening.