Best Practices on Radiology Department Workflow: Tips from the Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown on an Italian University Hospital

Abstract

Purpose: The workload of the radiology department (RD) of a university hospital in northern Italy dramatically changed during the COVID-19 outbreak. The restrictive measures of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown influenced the use of radiological services and particularly in the emergency department (ED). Methods: Data on diagnostic services from March 2020 to May 2020 were retrospectively collected and analysed in aggregate form and compared with those of the same timeframe in the previous year. Data were sorted by patient type in the following categories: inpatients, outpatients, and ED patients; the latter divided in “traumatic” and “not traumatic” cases. Results: Compared to 2019, 6449 fewer patients (−32.6%) were assisted in the RD. This decrease was more pronounced for the emergency radiology unit (ERU) (−41%) compared to the general radiology unit (−25.7%). The proportion of investigations performed for trauma appeared to decrease significantly from 14.8% to 12.5% during the COVID-19 emergency (p < 0.001). Similarly, the proportion of assisted traumatic patients decreased from 16.6% to 12.5% (p < 0.001). The number of emergency patients assisted by the RD was significantly reduced from 45% during routine activity to 39.4% in the COVID-19 outbreak (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The COVID-19 outbreak had a tremendous impact on all radiology activities. We documented a drastic reduction in total imaging volume compared to 2019 because of both the pandemic and the lockdown. In this context, investigations performed for trauma showed a substantial decrease.

Inter-Rater Variability in the Evaluation of Lung Ultrasound in Videos Acquired from COVID-19 Patients

“…Easy-to-access and reliable diagnostic methods, which can accurately guide the management of COVID-19, are vital in non-hospital settings and areas with limited resources [5]. Some studies have noted that LUS could be a first-line diagnostic alternative to conventional chest X-ray and CT scans since there is no exposure to ionizing radiation [4,6,13] and should be encouraged to avoid transporting patients and reduce the risk of environmental contamination [21][22][23]. Moreover, it could be considered in vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women and children.…”

Diagnostic Management of Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: Technique Optimization and Tips and Tricks for Radiologists

“…However, NENs have a different pattern and timescale of recurrence and, thus, require a more practical and tailored follow-up, including improvements in cost, patient flow, and the elimination of excessive demand for inefficient tests [ 230 ]. CT and MRI should be preferred for G1 and G2, while the follow-up of G3 tumors should also include gallium-68-based PET.…”