CT scans not needed in mild Covid-19 cases: AIIMS chief

NEW DELHI: Cautioning that CT scans and biomarker tests were not needed in mild Covid cases, AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria said one CT was equivalent to 300-400 chest Xrays and could pose potential risk of cancer if the scans were overused.
“There is a lot of misuse of CT scans and biomarkers and this can do damage. A lot of people are doing CTs the moment they test positive. There is no point for mild cases. There will be some patches even in some asymptomatic people and they go away without treatment. If you are in home isolation with mild illness and oxygen saturation is good, there is no point in doing a CT scan,” Dr Guleria said.
A computed tomography (CT) scan — used for diagnosis among Covid-19 patients — is an imaging technique that gives a detailed picture of the body. In case of Covid-19 patients, it is used for imaging lungs to check for inflammation and fibrosis.
“Data from the International Atomic Energy Commission shows that if people, particularly young people, do too many CTs, the risk of cancer in later life increases. If you have doubts, do a chest Xray first and then go for a CT only when the doctor advises it,” the AIIMS director said.
He said CT scan was required only in moderate illness and unnecessary exposure to radiation should be avoided. He also said that blood tests for biomarkers were not required in mild disease and such unnecessary tests could result in panic.
“A lot of people go for CRP, D-dimer, LDH ferritin — all these tests. This is not needed for mild illness in cases of home isolation where oxygen saturation is maintained. This only causes a panic reaction. These are markers of inflammation that go up even when you have a common cold or tooth infection. This does not show if the disease has progressed,” Dr Guleria said.