(ANSA) - BOLOGNA, 22 JAN - A software capable of early recognition of interstitial pneumonia in patients in home isolation.
The program, renamed 'Vector' and developed by the collaboration between Rheumatology and the Emergency Department of the Modena University Hospital and the Department of Sciences and Engineering Methods of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, aims at the early identification of Covid pneumonia patients and the software study has just been published in the scientific journal Computers in Biology.
"Interstitial lung diseases secondary to rheumatic diseases and interstitial pneumonia caused by Sars-CoV-2 - observes in a note Carlo Salvarani, director of the Rheumatology complex of the University Hospital of Modena and professor at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia - they have in common the presence of typical lung sounds, so-called velcro rales, whose response allows us to identify patients in which further investigation is necessary. Given the analogy between the two pathologies, we tested the software in patients who accessed to the emergency room, highlighting the correct identification of Covid-19 pneumonia in over 75% of cases ".
The idea of the study was born from the need to equip the doctors in charge of evaluating patients in home isolation for Covid-19 with a tool that would allow them to identify any pneumonia and then send these patients to the emergency room in good time.
One of the screening tests currently used for patients entering the emergency room is lung ultrasound, which provides excellent results.
However, this examination requires dedicated equipment, specific training and can hardly be used in an out-of-hospital setting, in particular it is difficult to perform in patients in home isolation.
(HANDLE).