Radiology departments should be prepared for an increase in the number of cases of COVID-19, the British Society of Thoracic Imaginghas said in a statement.
The organisation was commenting as the number of cases and deaths from COVID-19 increased in the UK and strict shut-down measures were implemented in Europe’s hardest-hit country, Italy.
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“It is imperative that trusts have standard operating procedures to minimise risks to staff and patients, as outlined by Public Health England,” the BSTI said. “Responsibility lies with local policy and implementation.”
While CT scans do not yet have an official role in COVID-19 diagnosis in the UK, the BSTI said the position could change and there was a risk that use of the modality could be under-estimated.
The BSTI said it was establishing a web-link accessible by all hospitals for upload of imaging of COVID-19 positive cases. The objective is for “upskilling and the provision of training cases.”
The imaging cases will
be held in the UK Cloud and be completely anonymised at source.
Source: BSTI
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