Open AccessIncidence of COVID-19 after pulmonary function tests: a retrospective cohort study
Author(s) -
Esteban Javier Wainstein,
Héctor José Peroni,
Bruno L. Ferreyro,
María Inés Staneloni,
Miriam Gabriela Marcos,
Alejandro Wolfgor,
Valeria Aliperti,
Horacio Matías Castro
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
revista de la facultad de ciencias médicas de córdoba
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1853-0605
pISSN - 0014-6722
DOI - 10.31053/1853.0605.v78.n4.34351
Subject(s) - medicine , incidence (geometry) , retrospective cohort study , cohort , covid-19 , cumulative incidence , pulmonary function testing , cohort study , transmission (telecommunications) , pediatrics , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty) , physics , electrical engineering , optics , engineering
It has been proposed that exposure to pulmonary function tests (PFT) could be associated with a higher risk of viral transmission. The risk of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission after performing PFT is unknown. We aimed to assess the incidence of COVID-19 after a PFT at an academic teaching facility in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Materials and methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study including all consecutive adult patients that performed PFT between April 1, 2020 and September 30, 2020. Patients with prior COVID-19 were excluded. We defined a 15-day time window to ascertain PFT related COVID-19. The primary outcome was ascertained by consulting a national database, which has information on all patients with nasopharyngeal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 in Argentina.
Results: We included 278 patients who performed a PFT. Fifty percent were women, the mean age was 54 years (SD 18), and the main comorbidities were obesity (31%), smoking (31%), hypertension (29%), and chronic lung disease (28%). The main indication for performing PFT was anesthetic preoperative risk assessment. Swabs were collected from 27 patients (10%). Twenty-two swabs (8%) were taken according to surgical protocols; five swabs (2%) were taken due to clinical suspicion of COVID-19, with only one testing positive. The cumulative incidence of COVID-19 after PFT was 0.36% (95% CI 0.01-20%). None of the technicians developed symptomatic disease.
Conclusion: Given the right setting and strict adherence to international recommendations, the SARS-CoV-2 infection after having a PFT appears to be low, which follows that these procedures can be performed safely for both patients and staff.