Chest X Ray and C-reactive Protein as Diagnostic Modalities for Monitoring Complications of Mild to Moderate COVID-19 Infections: Experience from a Dedicated COVID Hospital, Kolkata

Abstract

Introduction: SARS-COV-2 has created havoc during 2019-2021. Diagnosis and managing complications needed both laboratory investigations and imaging modalities.Aims and objectives: To find out the association between socio-demographic and clinical profiles of the studysubjects with their different laboratory investigations and imaging modalities and to compare normal investigations with their gold-standard variants.Materials and Methods: During the first wave of COVID-19, a descriptive, observational, and cross-sectionalstudy was carried out on 120 consecutive samples of mild to moderate COVID patients using a conveniencesampling technique in a COVID indoor ward of Medical College, Kolkata. The semi-structured data collectionform used in the study was predesigned, pretested, face and content validated. SPSS version 25 and Microsoft Excel version 19 was used for data analysis after coding. Ethical approval was taken. (Ref No. MC/KOL/IEC/ Non-Spon/842/11/2020).Results: Old age, uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension, presence of symptoms especially shortness of breath is significantly associated with low levels of SpO2, elevated C reactive protein (CRP) and D-dimer, abnormal Chest X-ray (CXR) and CT Thorax. A Kappa analysis suggested CRP and CXR can also be done instead of D-dimer and CT Thorax respectively, in a COVID patient for monitoring complications.Conclusion: CRP and CXR are cost-effective alternatives and can be used as diagnostic modalities for monitoring of complications of mild to moderate COVID-19 infections.