Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35110236›Full record

ArticleTurkish thoracic journal2021

Clinical Outcome of PCR-Negative COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Study.

Abdullah Sayıner, Mehmet Sezai Tasbakan, Begüm Ergan, Oğuz Kılınç, Arzu Sayıner, Ruchan Sertoz, Selin Ozuygur, Selin Ercan, Yusuf Savran, Pervin Korkmaz Ekren and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Turkish thoracic journal, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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

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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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

12 authors.

Abdullah SayınerDepartment of Chest Diseases, Ege University, İzmir, Turkey.
Mehmet Sezai TasbakanDepartment of Chest Diseases, Ege University, İzmir, Turkey.
Begüm ErganDepartment of Chest Diseases, Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Turkey.
Oğuz KılınçDepartment of Chest Diseases, Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Turkey.
Arzu SayınerDepartment of Medical Microbiology, Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Turkey.
Ruchan SertozDepartment of Medical Microbiology, Ege University, İzmir, Turkey.
Selin OzuygurDepartment of Chest Diseases, Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Turkey.
Selin ErcanDepartment of Chest Diseases, Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Turkey.
Yusuf SavranDepartment of Internal Medicine, Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Turkey.
Pervin Korkmaz EkrenDepartment of Chest Diseases, Ege University, İzmir, Turkey.
Özen K BaşoğluDepartment of Chest Diseases, Ege University, İzmir, Turkey.
Mustafa H ÖzhanDepartment of Chest Diseases, Ege University, İzmir, Turkey.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo evaluate the clinical features and outcomes of patients who were admitted with a diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) but who were not confirmed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positivity. MATERIAL AND

methodsThis is a retrospective analysis of all patients admitted to two tertiary care centers between March 15 and May 15, 2020, with a diagnosis of COVID-19. From a common database prepared for COVID-19, we retrieved the relevant data and compared the clinical findings and outcomes of PCR-positive patients with those of PCR-negative cases who had been diagnosed on the basis of typical clinical and radiographic findings.

resultsA total of 349 patients were included in the analysis, of which 126 (36.1%) were PCR-negative. PCR-negative patients were younger (54.6 ± 20.8 vs. 60.8 ± 18.9 years, P = .009) but were similar to PCR-positive patients in terms of demographics, comorbidities, and presenting symptoms. They had higher lymphocyte counts (1519 ± 868 vs. 1331 ± 737/mm3, P = .02) and less frequently presented with bilateral radiographic findings (68.3% vs. 79.4%, P = .046) than PCR-positive patients. Besides, they had less severe disease and better clinical outcomes regarding admission to the intensive care unit (9.6% vs. 20.6%, P = .023), oxygen therapy (21.4% vs. 43.5%, P < .001), ventilatory support (3.2% vs. 11.2%, P = .03) and length of hospital stay (5.0 ± 5.0 vs. 9.7 ± 5.9 days, P < .001).

conclusionThis study confirms that about one-third of the COVID-19 patients are PCR-negative and diagnosed based on clinical and radiographic findings. These patients have a more favorable clinical course, shorter hospital stays, and are less frequently admitted to the intensive care unit.

Identifiers

PMID35110236
PMCPMC8975318

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