Head CT Scans in the Emergency Department during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Use or Overuse?
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic seemed to mainly involve the respiratory system, but it was realized that it could affect any organ, including the CNS. The pandemic has followed a wave-like trend, with its peaks being due to the COVID-19 different variants and the introduction of the vaccine, whic...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Life |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/14/2/264 |
| _version_ | 1827343265784922112 |
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| author | Marcello Covino Andrea Piccioni Giuseppe Merra Carolina Giordano Rosellina Russo Amato Infante Luca Ausili Cefaro Luigi Natale Francesco Franceschi Simona Gaudino |
| author_facet | Marcello Covino Andrea Piccioni Giuseppe Merra Carolina Giordano Rosellina Russo Amato Infante Luca Ausili Cefaro Luigi Natale Francesco Franceschi Simona Gaudino |
| author_sort | Marcello Covino |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The COVID-19 pandemic seemed to mainly involve the respiratory system, but it was realized that it could affect any organ, including the CNS. The pandemic has followed a wave-like trend, with its peaks being due to the COVID-19 different variants and the introduction of the vaccine, which led to an apparent reduction in hospitalizations but also brought about perplexities related to its adverse effects. The aim of this study was to analyze the changes in the use of head CT/contrast CT and their impacts on the onset of cerebrovascular disease in our emergency department during the COVID-19 period and the vaccine rollout. Methods: Patients ≥ 18 years old admitted to our emergency department from January 2018 to September 2021 were enrolled. The patients were divided into three groups. The COVID-19 period included patients who visited our emergency department from 1 March 2020 to 31 January 2021; the vaccine period was considered to range from 1 February 2021 to 30 September 2021. The patients who visited the emergency department from 1 January 2018 to 31 January 2020 were considered the controls. Results: We found an increase in head CT/contrast CT requests during the COVID-19 period and increase in head contrast CT during the vaccine period, without an increase in the incidence of cerebrovascular disease. Conclusions: The uncertainty regarding the possible thrombotic events associated with COVID-19 and its vaccine increased the relative use of head CT/contrast CT by about 20% compared to the control period |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:23:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5c5fb9f2b8004399b47adf3a455a921f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:23:44Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Life |
| spelling | doaj.art-5c5fb9f2b8004399b47adf3a455a921f2024-02-23T15:24:47ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292024-02-0114226410.3390/life14020264Head CT Scans in the Emergency Department during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Use or Overuse?Marcello Covino0Andrea Piccioni1Giuseppe Merra2Carolina Giordano3Rosellina Russo4Amato Infante5Luca Ausili Cefaro6Luigi Natale7Francesco Franceschi8Simona Gaudino9Emergency Department, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, ItalyEmergency Department, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, ItalyEmergency Department, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Diagnostic Imaging, Oncological Radiotherapy, and Hematology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Diagnostic Imaging, Oncological Radiotherapy, and Hematology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Diagnostic Imaging, Oncological Radiotherapy, and Hematology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Diagnostic Imaging, Oncological Radiotherapy, and Hematology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, ItalyIstituto di Radiologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, ItalyEmergency Department, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, ItalyIstituto di Radiologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, ItalyBackground: The COVID-19 pandemic seemed to mainly involve the respiratory system, but it was realized that it could affect any organ, including the CNS. The pandemic has followed a wave-like trend, with its peaks being due to the COVID-19 different variants and the introduction of the vaccine, which led to an apparent reduction in hospitalizations but also brought about perplexities related to its adverse effects. The aim of this study was to analyze the changes in the use of head CT/contrast CT and their impacts on the onset of cerebrovascular disease in our emergency department during the COVID-19 period and the vaccine rollout. Methods: Patients ≥ 18 years old admitted to our emergency department from January 2018 to September 2021 were enrolled. The patients were divided into three groups. The COVID-19 period included patients who visited our emergency department from 1 March 2020 to 31 January 2021; the vaccine period was considered to range from 1 February 2021 to 30 September 2021. The patients who visited the emergency department from 1 January 2018 to 31 January 2020 were considered the controls. Results: We found an increase in head CT/contrast CT requests during the COVID-19 period and increase in head contrast CT during the vaccine period, without an increase in the incidence of cerebrovascular disease. Conclusions: The uncertainty regarding the possible thrombotic events associated with COVID-19 and its vaccine increased the relative use of head CT/contrast CT by about 20% compared to the control periodhttps://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/14/2/264COVID-19head contrast CTvaccinecerebrovascular disease |
| spellingShingle | Marcello Covino Andrea Piccioni Giuseppe Merra Carolina Giordano Rosellina Russo Amato Infante Luca Ausili Cefaro Luigi Natale Francesco Franceschi Simona Gaudino Head CT Scans in the Emergency Department during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Use or Overuse? Life COVID-19 head contrast CT vaccine cerebrovascular disease |
| title | Head CT Scans in the Emergency Department during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Use or Overuse? |
| title_full | Head CT Scans in the Emergency Department during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Use or Overuse? |
| title_fullStr | Head CT Scans in the Emergency Department during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Use or Overuse? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Head CT Scans in the Emergency Department during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Use or Overuse? |
| title_short | Head CT Scans in the Emergency Department during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Use or Overuse? |
| title_sort | head ct scans in the emergency department during the covid 19 pandemic use or overuse |
| topic | COVID-19 head contrast CT vaccine cerebrovascular disease |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/14/2/264 |
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