Misdiagnosis of COVID-19 infection before molecular confirmation in Sulaimaniyah City, Iraq
Abstract Background During the last 2 years, in the Kurdistan Region, Northern Iraq, there were thousands of COVID-19 cases that have not been reported officially, but diagnosed and confirmed by private laboratories and private hospitals, or clinicians based on typical clinical signs, as well as few...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-06-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Medical Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40001-022-00704-0 |
| _version_ | 1828811283555680256 |
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| author | Hemn Muhammed Mustafa Darya Saeed Abdulateef Heshu Sulaiman Rahman |
| author_facet | Hemn Muhammed Mustafa Darya Saeed Abdulateef Heshu Sulaiman Rahman |
| author_sort | Hemn Muhammed Mustafa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background During the last 2 years, in the Kurdistan Region, Northern Iraq, there were thousands of COVID-19 cases that have not been reported officially, but diagnosed and confirmed by private laboratories and private hospitals, or clinicians based on typical clinical signs, as well as few people using home self-test after appearing of some flu-like clinical symptoms. Thus, this study aims to assess the misdiagnosis and mismanagement of cases before COVID-19 confirmation. Methods This study enrolled 100 consecutive patients who visited an outpatient clinic of Shar Hospital that had symptoms highly suspicious of COVID-19 infection while misdiagnosed previously to have other types of disease. Detailed questionnaires were filled for all studied patients, including age, gender, main presenting symptoms, and duration of these symptoms with the following questions: who made the false diagnosis, depending on which diagnostic test the false diagnosis was made, which medication was used for the false diagnosis, who prescribed those medications, and how long those medications were used. They were investigated by RT-PCR on their nasopharyngeal swab for confirmation. Results Most of the false diagnoses were typhoid (63%), influenza (14%), pneumonia (9%), gastroenteritis (5%), common cold (4%), brucellosis (4%), and meningitis (1%). Regarding the false diagnosis of cases, 92% were made by non-physician healthcare workers, and only 8% were made by physicians. All false diagnoses with typhoid, gastroenteritis, and common cold were made by non-physician healthcare workers, together with about half of the diagnosis of pneumonia and brucellosis, with statistically significant results (P < 0.001). Conclusions We realized that some patients had been misdiagnosed before the COVID-19 infection confirmation. Their health conditions improved drastically after correct diagnosis and treatment, and this research is considered the first research to be conducted in Iraq in this regard. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T09:25:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-09717c2fab354b2c9f42a309a86a3f7c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2047-783X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T09:25:28Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Medical Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-09717c2fab354b2c9f42a309a86a3f7c2022-12-22T00:29:03ZengBMCEuropean Journal of Medical Research2047-783X2022-06-012711710.1186/s40001-022-00704-0Misdiagnosis of COVID-19 infection before molecular confirmation in Sulaimaniyah City, IraqHemn Muhammed Mustafa0Darya Saeed Abdulateef1Heshu Sulaiman Rahman2Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of SulaimaniDepartment of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of SulaimaniDepartment of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of SulaimaniAbstract Background During the last 2 years, in the Kurdistan Region, Northern Iraq, there were thousands of COVID-19 cases that have not been reported officially, but diagnosed and confirmed by private laboratories and private hospitals, or clinicians based on typical clinical signs, as well as few people using home self-test after appearing of some flu-like clinical symptoms. Thus, this study aims to assess the misdiagnosis and mismanagement of cases before COVID-19 confirmation. Methods This study enrolled 100 consecutive patients who visited an outpatient clinic of Shar Hospital that had symptoms highly suspicious of COVID-19 infection while misdiagnosed previously to have other types of disease. Detailed questionnaires were filled for all studied patients, including age, gender, main presenting symptoms, and duration of these symptoms with the following questions: who made the false diagnosis, depending on which diagnostic test the false diagnosis was made, which medication was used for the false diagnosis, who prescribed those medications, and how long those medications were used. They were investigated by RT-PCR on their nasopharyngeal swab for confirmation. Results Most of the false diagnoses were typhoid (63%), influenza (14%), pneumonia (9%), gastroenteritis (5%), common cold (4%), brucellosis (4%), and meningitis (1%). Regarding the false diagnosis of cases, 92% were made by non-physician healthcare workers, and only 8% were made by physicians. All false diagnoses with typhoid, gastroenteritis, and common cold were made by non-physician healthcare workers, together with about half of the diagnosis of pneumonia and brucellosis, with statistically significant results (P < 0.001). Conclusions We realized that some patients had been misdiagnosed before the COVID-19 infection confirmation. Their health conditions improved drastically after correct diagnosis and treatment, and this research is considered the first research to be conducted in Iraq in this regard.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40001-022-00704-0COVID-19MisdiagnosisMolecular diagnosisNon-physician healthcare workersIraq |
| spellingShingle | Hemn Muhammed Mustafa Darya Saeed Abdulateef Heshu Sulaiman Rahman Misdiagnosis of COVID-19 infection before molecular confirmation in Sulaimaniyah City, Iraq European Journal of Medical Research COVID-19 Misdiagnosis Molecular diagnosis Non-physician healthcare workers Iraq |
| title | Misdiagnosis of COVID-19 infection before molecular confirmation in Sulaimaniyah City, Iraq |
| title_full | Misdiagnosis of COVID-19 infection before molecular confirmation in Sulaimaniyah City, Iraq |
| title_fullStr | Misdiagnosis of COVID-19 infection before molecular confirmation in Sulaimaniyah City, Iraq |
| title_full_unstemmed | Misdiagnosis of COVID-19 infection before molecular confirmation in Sulaimaniyah City, Iraq |
| title_short | Misdiagnosis of COVID-19 infection before molecular confirmation in Sulaimaniyah City, Iraq |
| title_sort | misdiagnosis of covid 19 infection before molecular confirmation in sulaimaniyah city iraq |
| topic | COVID-19 Misdiagnosis Molecular diagnosis Non-physician healthcare workers Iraq |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40001-022-00704-0 |
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