Association of chest computed tomography severity score at ICU admission and respiratory outcomes in critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Abstract

ObjectiveTo evaluate the association of a validated chest computed tomography (Chest-CT) severity score in COVID-19 patients with their respiratory outcome in the Intensive Care Unit.MethodsA single-center, prospective study evaluated patients with positive RT-PCR for COVID-19, who underwent Chest-CT and had a final COVID-19 clinical diagnosis needing invasive mechanical ventilation in the ICU. The admission chest-CT was evaluated according to a validated Chest-CT Severity Score in COVID-19 (Chest-CTSS) divided into low ≤50% (50% high (≥14 points) lung parenchyma involvement. The association between the initial score and their pulmonary clinical outcomes was evaluated.Results121 patients were clustered into the > 50% lung involvement group and 105 patients into the ≤ 50% lung involvement group. Patients ≤ 50% lung involvement ( 50% lung involvement (≥14 points) on Chest-CT at ICU admission.ConclusionCOVID-19 patients with >50% lung involvement on Chest-CT admission presented higher chances to stay longer on invasive mechanical ventilation and more chances to developed ventilator-associated pneumonia.