“In combination with symptoms, CTA scan analysis is relatively accurate in diagnosing COVID-19, even compared to the nasal swab test. Since this analysis is much faster and at no extra cost, we hope it could be incorporated as a rapid diagnosis tool for patients with acute stroke,” Esenwa said. “In addition, accurately diagnosing COVID-19 within hours, rather than the sometimes days wait-time to receive the results from nasal swab tests could help protect both patients and medical professionals.”
While these findings are promising, the study had some limitations. As there is no universally defined standard for diagnosing COVID-19, the study confirmed infection positivity through the nasal swab COVID-19 test (RT-PCR). Patients who did not have the RT-PCR test performed were excluded from the study. Additionally, diagnostic accuracy may have been higher because the study participants were in an area with higher geographic incidence of COVID-19, which may not be the case in an area with a lower rate of COVID-19 infections.
“Screening questionnaires alone are often inaccurate because of the absence of symptoms or the patient is unable to speak because they are suffering from an acute stroke,” Esenwa said. “Early diagnosis via CT scans has helped our center protect other patients and staff through early isolation, and it has also allowed us to start early supportive care for those suspected of having stroke who are COVID-19 positive,” Esenwa added.
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Co-authors are Ji-Ae Lee, M.D.; Taha Nisar, M.D.; Anna Shmulker, M.D.; Inessa Goldman, M.D.; Richard Zampolin, M.D.; Kevin Hsu, M.D.; Daniel Labovitz, M.D., M.S.; David Altschul, M.D.; and Linda B. Haramati, M.D., M.S.
This study was approved by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center Institutional Review Board and no external funding sources were reported.
About the American Stroke Association
The American Stroke Association is devoted to saving people from stroke — the No. 2 cause of death in the world and a leading cause of serious disability. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat stroke. The Dallas-based association officially launched in 1998 as a division of the American Heart Association.
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