Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 13, 2025
Safety Precautions and Operating Procedures in an ABSL-4 Laboratory: 4. Medical Imaging Procedures
Published on: October 3, 2016
A Concise Review and Required Precautions for COVID-19 Outbreak in Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology
Ali Kord1,2, Behnam Rabiee1, Siwen Wang3
1Department of Radiology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
Insights
Chest CT scans are crucial for diagnosing COVID-19 pneumonia, especially when diagnostic kits are scarce. This review details key CT findings and essential safety measures for radiology staff during the pandemic.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by a novel coronavirus, rapidly overwhelmed healthcare systems globally.
- Typical symptoms include fever, fatigue, dry cough, and dyspnea.
- Limited availability of diagnostic kits highlighted the need for alternative diagnostic methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize the characteristic chest CT findings in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.
- To review essential safety precautions for radiology personnel managing COVID-19 patients.
- To aid in the early diagnosis and management of COVID-19.
Main Methods:
- Review of chest computed tomography (CT) findings in confirmed COVID-19 cases.
- Compilation of recommended safety protocols for radiology departments.
- Literature synthesis on the role of CT in COVID-19 diagnosis.
Main Results:
- Chest CT demonstrates high sensitivity for diagnosing COVID-19 pneumonia in clinically suspected cases.
- Specific CT patterns, such as ground-glass opacities and consolidation, are indicative of COVID-19.
- Implementation of stringent safety measures is vital to protect healthcare workers and prevent patient cross-contamination.
Conclusions:
- Chest CT is a valuable tool for the initial diagnosis of COVID-19, particularly in resource-limited settings.
- Adherence to safety protocols is paramount for radiology staff to mitigate transmission risks.
- Radiologists play a critical role on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abstract:
A global outbreak of a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pneumonia began in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced a pandemic on March 11, 2020. The rapid rise in the case numbers and mortality led to the saturation of hospitals in many countries. COVID-19 patients usually present with fever, fatigue, dry cough, and dyspnea. Given the shortage of diagnostic kits in many countries and very high sensitivity of computed tomography (CT) for diagnosis of COVID-19 in clinically suspicious patients, the chest CT has been implemented among the primary initial methods of diagnosis before the confirmatory laboratory tests. This puts radiologists and radiology staff on the front line of this alarming pandemic. This report summarizes chest CT findings of COVID-19 patients to facilitate diagnosis and reviews a list of necessary precautions and safety measures for diagnostic and interventional radiology personnel. These precautionary plans are extremely important to avoid contamination of the health-care providers, as well as cross-contamination between patients.
Related Concept Videos
01:13Radiological Investigation III: Pulmonary Angiogram and PET Scan
Pulmonary Angiogram
A Pulmonary Angiogram is an invasive procedure involving injecting a contrast medium through a catheter threaded into the pulmonary artery or the right side of the heart to visualize the pulmonary vasculature. Computed Tomography (CT) scans have mainly replaced this...
01:30Radiological Investigation I: X-ray and CT
01:17Transmission-based Precautions I: Contact, Enteric, and Droplets
Contact Precautions:
Contact precautions are the measures taken to prevent the transmission of infectious agents, especially epidemiologically important microorganisms such as MRSA or influenza, primarily transmitted through direct or indirect contact with an...
01:14Imaging Studies I: CT and MRI
Description of the Procedures
Computed Tomography (CT) scan:
Computed Tomography (CT) scans use X-ray technology to generate detailed images of bones, organs, and tissues. During the scan, the patient lies on a moving table...
01:30Radiological Investigation II: MRI and Ventilation Perfusion Scan
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Ventilation Perfusion Scans are two radiological investigations that offer detailed diagnostic images of the body, particularly lung structures.
MRI
MRI uses magnetic fields and radiofrequency signals to distinguish between normal and abnormal tissues. This technology provides a more detailed diagnostic image than CT scans, enabling it to characterize pulmonary nodules, stage bronchogenic carcinoma, and evaluate inflammatory activity in...
01:20Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System III: X-Ray
Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...