Since December 2019, the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a public health emergency of international concern. Although corticosteroid therapy represents a milestone in the management of COVID-19, many questions remain unanswered. The optimal type of corticosteroids, timing of initiation, dose, mode of administration, duration, and dose tapering are still unclear. An approach to resolve these issues is to develop accurate tools to assess or monitor the progression of COVID-19 during the corticosteroid therapy process. Quantitative computed tomography (QCT) analysis may serve as a tool for assessing the severity of COVID-19 and for monitoring its progress. However, the effect of steroids on quantitative chest CT parameters during the treatment process remains unknown. In this retrospectively study, we aimed to assess the association between steroid administration and QCT variables in a longitudinal cohort with COVID-19
Since December 2019, the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a public health emergency of international concern. Although corticosteroid therapy represents a milestone in the management of COVID-19, many questions remain unanswered. The optimal type of corticosteroids, timing of initiation, dose, mode of administration, duration, and dose tapering are still unclear. An approach to resolve these issues is to develop accurate tools to assess or monitor the progression of COVID-19 during the corticosteroid therapy process. Quantitative computed tomography (QCT) analysis may serve as a tool for assessing the severity of COVID-19 and for monitoring its progress. However, the effect of steroids on quantitative chest CT parameters during the treatment process remains unknown. In this retrospectively study, we aimed to assess the association between steroid administration and QCT variables in a longitudinal cohort with COVID-19.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
72
Zhongshan hospital, Fudan university
Shanghai, China
Changes in the percentage of compromised lung volume (Δ%CL) at different stages
According to different Hounsfield unit (HU) intervals in the quantitative chest CT scan, we divided each lung into nonaerated lung volume (%NNL, 100 to -100 HU), poorly aerated lung volume (%PAL, -101 to -500 HU), normally aerated lung volume (%NAL, -501 to -900 HU), and hyperinflated lung volume (%HI, -901 to -1000 HU) regions. The additional "compromised lung" volume (%CL) was considered as the sum of %PAL and %NNL (-500 to 100 HU). To monitor COVID-19 progression during the treatment process, we chose changes in the percentage of compromised lung volume (Δ%CL) at different stages (Δ%CL = %CL at different stages-baseline %CL) as the primary outcome. The negative value of Δ%CL thus reflected clinical improvement.
Time frame: 31 days
Changes in the percentage of NNL at different stages
According to different Hounsfield unit (HU) intervals in the quantitative chest CT scan, we divided each lung into nonaerated lung volume (%NNL, 100 to -100 HU), poorly aerated lung volume (%PAL, -101 to -500 HU), normally aerated lung volume (%NAL, -501 to -900 HU), and hyperinflated lung volume (%HI, -901 to -1000 HU) regions.
Time frame: 31 days
Changes in the percentage of PAL at different stages
According to different Hounsfield unit (HU) intervals in the quantitative chest CT scan, we divided each lung into nonaerated lung volume (%NNL, 100 to -100 HU), poorly aerated lung volume (%PAL, -101 to -500 HU), normally aerated lung volume (%NAL, -501 to -900 HU), and hyperinflated lung volume (%HI, -901 to -1000 HU) regions. Under these circumstances, clinical improvement was reflected by the negative value of Δ%NNL and Δ%PAL, and the positive value of Δ%NAL.
Time frame: 31 days
Changes in the percentage of NAL at different stages
According to different Hounsfield unit (HU) intervals in the quantitative chest CT scan, we divided each lung into nonaerated lung volume (%NNL, 100 to -100 HU), poorly aerated lung volume (%PAL, -101 to -500 HU), normally aerated lung volume (%NAL, -501 to -900 HU), and hyperinflated lung volume (%HI, -901 to -1000 HU) regions. Under these circumstances, clinical improvement was reflected by the negative value of Δ%NNL and Δ%PAL, and the positive value of Δ%NAL.
Time frame: 31 days
Changes in the percentage of HL at different stages
According to different Hounsfield unit (HU) intervals in the quantitative chest CT scan, we divided each lung into nonaerated lung volume (%NNL, 100 to -100 HU), poorly aerated lung volume (%PAL, -101 to -500 HU), normally aerated lung volume (%NAL, -501 to -900 HU), and hyperinflated lung volume (%HI, -901 to -1000 HU) regions. Under these circumstances, clinical improvement was reflected by the negative value of Δ%NNL and Δ%PAL, and the positive value of Δ%NAL.
Time frame: 31 days
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