Abstract
Introduction: Auscultation of chest is limited during COVID-19 pandemic. We wanted to investigate the relationship between auscultatory findings and the severity of the Chest x-ray(CXR) changes and the oxygen(O2) administered.
Methods: 19 RT-PCR confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia patients were studied. Patients on assisted ventilation, known underlying lung or heart disease were excluded. Chest auscultation was undertaken by 2 respiratory consultants and 2 middle grade respiratory doctors using a 3M™ Littmann® Stethoscope.
Inspiratory crackles were graded between 0 to 10. Upper, middle and lower zones of the chest were auscultated posteriorly and average of total grades for each area were recorded.
CXR done around the day of auscultation were reported by a consultant chest radiologist blinded to the auscultatory findings. COVID-19 changes on CXR were graded as none, mild, moderate, or severe.
O2 administered to respective patients at the time of auscultation was documented. Statistical relationship between the variables were caliculated using correlation co-efficient.
Results: On Auscultation, crackles were heard in 89% of patients. 84% of patients in both the middle and lower zones and 5% of patients in the lower zone only. They were not heard in upper zones.
Measurements and Main Results: There is an association between the crackles on chest auscultation and severity of the COVID-19 CXR findings and the O2 administered.
Footnotes
Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2021; 58: Suppl. 65, PA3237.
This abstract was presented at the 2021 ERS International Congress, in session “Prediction of exacerbations in patients with COPD”.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2021