Sequential decision-making algorithm in the Radiology department in the setting of COVID-19 pandemic
date : 04.04.2020
Bulgarian Society of Cardiothoracic Radiology
Bulgarian Association of Radiology
Expert Council on Radiology, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Bulgaria
Version 1 April 2020
The declared pandemic due to the spread of COVID-19, a disease caused by coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2) requires adaption of the actual guidelines for good medical practice in all areas of healthcare. Because of the relatively late involvement of Republic Bulgaria in the epidemic, it is expected that the number of symptomatic patients in the country will keep rising and that will put new demands on requesting and performing radiographs and computed tomography scans, as well as on imaging report and the following conclusion.
Purpose of the Document
The purpose of this document is to provide recommendations for the radiology departments in the setting of COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis and the recommendations are based on the available data in the literature regarding the coronavirus infections and related epidemics and the data published by the affected nations in the current epidemiological situation.
The document does not pretend to be issued according to the evidence-based medicine guidelines due to the fact that the knowledge of the epidemiology, diagnostics, clinical course and treatment is insufficient. The proposed algorithm can be changed in the course of the pandemics and when more evidence is gathered. Every updated version will be marked with the date of the newest change introduced.
The purpose of this document is to provide:
• Recommendations for adequate usage of the information from medical imaging in the process of diagnosing a patient with COVID-19 infection;
• Recommendations for adequate description of the findings in the radiology report and the following conclusion from chest x-rays and chest CT scans in the setting of COVID-19 pandemics;
• Recommendations for adequate imaging requests based on sufficient pre-evaluation;
• Recommendations for adequate medical imaging performance for the purpose of limiting possible infectious contamination of the radiology departments;
• Recommendations for adequate protection of the staff in the radiology department.
