The impact of COVID-19 infection pandemic on the frequency of radiographic chest imaging and radiological inflammatory findings

Cilj istraživanja: Ispitati učestalost radiografskog oslikavanja pluća i radioloških opisa upalnih promjena na radiografskim snimkama pluća na Kliničkom zavodu za dijagnostičku i intervencijsku radiologiju tijekom 2019. i 2020. godine. Ispitati učestalost potvrđene COVID-19 infekcije kod bolesnika s radiološki opisanim upalnim promjenama na plućima te ispitati postoji li porast učestalosti radiografskog oslikavanja pluća tijekom COVID-19 pandemije. Nacrt studije: Ustroj studije je presječna studija s povijesnim podatcima. Ispitanici i metode: U istraživanje su uključeni bolesnici upućeni na radiografsko oslikavanje pluća na Kliničkom zavodu za dijagnostičku i intervencijsku radiologiju KBC Osijek, u razdoblju od 1. siječnja 2019. do 31. prosinca 2020. godine. Podatci su prikupljeni koristeći Radiološki informacijski sustav. Varijable za analizu uključivale su podatke o dobi, spolu, datumu oslikavanja pluća, postojanju radiografskih znakova upale pluća, postojanju COVID-19 bolesti potvrđene RT-PCR testom te radi li se o inicijalnoj ili kontrolnoj snimci pluća. Rezultati: Istraživanje je provedeno na 47244 bolesnika. Napravljenih radiografskih snimaka značajno je više od siječnja do listopada 2019. godine u odnosu na 2020. godinu i u studenom i prosincu 2020. godine u odnosu na 2019. godinu. Značajno više upala zabilježeno je u lipnju 2019. godine te u listopadu, studenom i prosincu 2020. godine. Od listopada do prosinca 2020. godine puno je veći udio COVID-19 pozitivnih u upalama, od 71,3 % do 94,1 % od ukupnog broj upala tih mjeseci. Zaključak: Tijekom COVID-19 pandemije došlo je do smanjenja ukupnog broja učinjenih radiografskih snimaka pluća, ali i do značajno većeg broja radiografski detektiranih upala pluća koje su u značajnom udjelu bile posljedica COVID-19 infekcije.Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the frequency of radiographic chest imaging and radiographic inflammatory findings on chest radiograph at the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Centre Osijek during 2019 and 2020. The incidence of confirmed COVID-19 infection in patients with radiographic inflammatory findings of the lungs was examined, as well as whether there has been an increase in the incidence of radiographic chest imaging during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study Design: The study was a cross-sectional study with historical data. Participants and methods: The study included patients referred for radiographic chest imaging at the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, at the University Hospital Centre Osijek, within the period from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2020. Data were collected using the Radiological Information System. Variables for analysis included data on age, sex, date of lung imaging, radiographic evidence of pneumonia, existence of COVID-19 infection confirmed by RT-PCR, and whether it was an initial or control chest radiograph. Results: The study was conducted on 47244 patients. There were significantly more radiographs taken from January to October 2019 compared to 2020, as well as in November and December 2020 compared to 2019. A significantly larger number of inflammations was recorded in June 2019 and in October, November, and December 2020. From October to December 2020, the proportion of COVID-19 positive patients with pneumonia was much higher, ranging from 71.3 % to 94.1 % of the total number of pneumonias in those months. Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a decrease in the total number of chest radiographs, but also a significantly higher number of radiographically detected pneumonias, which were the consequence of COVID-19 infection in a significant proportion