Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33158840›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2020

Diagnostic accuracy of X-ray versus CT in COVID-19: a propensity-matched database study.

Aditya Borakati, Adrian Perera, James Johnson, Tara Sood

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 65 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
65citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
12.2field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

65 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 133 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Thoracic imaging tests for the diagnosis of COVID-19.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2022
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5 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Aditya BorakatiDivision of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, London, UK a.borakati@doctors.org.uk.ORCID 0000-0003-0457-4944
Adrian PereraEmergency Department, Royal Free Hospital, London, London, UK.
James JohnsonEmergency Department, Royal Free Hospital, London, London, UK.
Tara SoodEmergency Department, Royal Free Hospital, London, London, UK.
The Royal Free Hospital · GBLondon Metropolitan University · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo identify the diagnostic accuracy of common imaging modalities, chest X-ray (CXR) and CT, for diagnosis of COVID-19 in the general emergency population in the UK and to find the association between imaging features and outcomes in these patients.

designRetrospective analysis of electronic patient records.

settingTertiary academic health science centre and designated centre for high consequence infectious diseases in London, UK.

participants1198 patients who attended the emergency department with paired reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) swabs for SARS-CoV-2 and CXR between 16 March and 16 April 2020.

main outcome measuresSensitivity and specificity of CXR and CT for diagnosis of COVID-19 using the British Society of Thoracic Imaging reporting templates. Reference standard was any RT-PCR positive naso-oropharyngeal swab within 30 days of attendance. ORs of CXR in association with vital signs, laboratory values and 30-day outcomes were calculated.

resultsSensitivity and specificity of CXR for COVID-19 diagnosis were 0.56 (95% CI 0.51 to 0.60) and 0.60 (95% CI 0.54 to 0.65), respectively. For CT scans, these were 0.85 (95% CI 0.79 to 0.90) and 0.50 (95% CI 0.41 to 0.60), respectively. This gave a statistically significant mean increase in sensitivity with CT of 29% (95% CI 19% to 38%, p<0.0001) compared with CXR. Specificity was not significantly different between the two modalities.CXR findings were not statistically significantly or clinically meaningfully associated with vital signs, laboratory parameters or 30-day outcomes.

conclusionsCT has substantially improved diagnostic performance over CXR in COVID-19. CT should be strongly considered in the initial assessment for suspected COVID-19. This gives potential for increased sensitivity and considerably faster turnaround time, where capacity allows and balanced against excess radiation exposure risk.

Indexed as

Emergency Service, HospitalPropensity ScoreSARS-CoV-2COVID-19COVID-19 TestingData ManagementFemaleHumansLungMaleMiddle AgedPandemicsRadiography, ThoracicRetrospective StudiesTomography, X-Ray Computedaccident & emergency medicineChest imagingCOVID-19diagnostic radiologygeneral medicine (see Internal Medicine)

Identifiers

PMID33158840
PMCPMC7650091
OpenAlexW3096401021

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.