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Radiological Society of North America Expert Consensus Statement on Reporting Chest CT Findings Related to COVID-19. Endorsed by the Society of Thoracic Radiology, the American College of Radiology, and RSNA - Secondary Publication.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Simpson, S; Kay, FU; Abbara, S; Bhalla, S; Chung, JH; Chung, M; Henry, TS; Kanne, JP; Kligerman, S; Ko, JP; Litt, H
Published in: J Thorac Imaging
July 2020

Routine screening CT for the identification of COVID-19 pneumonia is currently not recommended by most radiology societies. However, the number of CTs performed in persons under investigation (PUI) for COVID-19 has increased. We also anticipate that some patients will have incidentally detected findings that could be attributable to COVID-19 pneumonia, requiring radiologists to decide whether or not to mention COVID-19 specifically as a differential diagnostic possibility. We aim to provide guidance to radiologists in reporting CT findings potentially attributable to COVID-19 pneumonia, including standardized language to reduce reporting variability when addressing the possibility of COVID-19. When typical or indeterminate features of COVID-19 pneumonia are present in endemic areas as an incidental finding, we recommend contacting the referring providers to discuss the likelihood of viral infection. These incidental findings do not necessarily need to be reported as COVID-19 pneumonia. In this setting, using the term "viral pneumonia" can be a reasonable and inclusive alternative. However, if one opts to use the term "COVID-19" in the incidental setting, consider the provided standardized reporting language. In addition, practice patterns may vary, and this document is meant to serve as a guide. Consultation with clinical colleagues at each institution is suggested to establish a consensus reporting approach. The goal of this expert consensus is to help radiologists recognize findings of COVID-19 pneumonia and aid their communication with other healthcare providers, assisting management of patients during this pandemic.

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Published In

J Thorac Imaging

DOI

EISSN

1536-0237

Publication Date

July 2020

Volume

35

Issue

4

Start / End Page

219 / 227

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Societies, Medical
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Radiologists
  • Radiography, Thoracic
  • Pneumonia, Viral
  • Pandemics
  • Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
  • North America
 

Citation

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Simpson, S., Kay, F. U., Abbara, S., Bhalla, S., Chung, J. H., Chung, M., … Litt, H. (2020). Radiological Society of North America Expert Consensus Statement on Reporting Chest CT Findings Related to COVID-19. Endorsed by the Society of Thoracic Radiology, the American College of Radiology, and RSNA - Secondary Publication. J Thorac Imaging, 35(4), 219–227. https://doi.org/10.1097/RTI.0000000000000524
Simpson, Scott, Fernando U. Kay, Suhny Abbara, Sanjeev Bhalla, Jonathan H. Chung, Michael Chung, Travis S. Henry, et al. “Radiological Society of North America Expert Consensus Statement on Reporting Chest CT Findings Related to COVID-19. Endorsed by the Society of Thoracic Radiology, the American College of Radiology, and RSNA - Secondary Publication.J Thorac Imaging 35, no. 4 (July 2020): 219–27. https://doi.org/10.1097/RTI.0000000000000524.

Published In

J Thorac Imaging

DOI

EISSN

1536-0237

Publication Date

July 2020

Volume

35

Issue

4

Start / End Page

219 / 227

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Societies, Medical
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Radiologists
  • Radiography, Thoracic
  • Pneumonia, Viral
  • Pandemics
  • Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
  • North America