Avoid CT scans in mild COVID cases, suggests AIIMS chief

Addressing a press conference, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria advised avoiding unnecessary CT scans and said one CT scan is equivalent to 300-400 chest X-rays which increases the risk of having cancer in later life, especially in youth, as one is exposed to harmful radiation.

New Delhi: AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria on Monday advised avoiding unnecessary computerised tomography scan (CT scan) in cases of mild symptoms of COVID-19 and warned against the use of steroids in the early infections of the deadly disease.

Addressing a press conference, Guleria said one CT scan is equivalent to 300-400 chest X-rays and this increases the risk of having cancer in later life, especially in youth, as one is exposed to harmful radiation.

The CT scan will show few patches which will end without any treatment, he noted.

The CT scan machine takes cross-sectional images of the body using computers and rotating X-ray machines. They are being used to detect Covid infections by detecting signs of pneumonia or white patches in the lungs.

More people are relying on the expensive scan than last year as reports suggest the mutant variants of the virus can go undetected in the gold standard RT-PCR test.

"There have been studies which show that around 30-40 per cent of people who are asymptomatic but are COVID positive and got a CT scan done... they also had patches which ended without any treatment," Guleria said.

"CT scan and markers are being misused. A lot of people are getting CT scans done. There is no use of the scan in early stages as it will not detect (COVID) properly in mild cases."

The AIIMS chief suggested going for a chest X-ray first, if necessary. "The doctor will give proper advice whether a CT scan is needed or not."

He said asymptomatic patients with normal oxygen saturation should not go for CT scans.

About biomarkers, which are used to see how well the body responds to a treatment for a disease or condition, Guleria said: "If one is COVID positive with mild symptoms, then there is no need to go for blood tests, CPC or LDH as these will only create a panic reaction. These biomarkers are acute phase reactants which will increase with inflammation in your body."

He warned that biomarkers can be more harmful and advised to get a CT scan done only when there is any indication.

He also warned of taking heavy steroids at an early stage of COVID. "Mild cases can be treated with normal medicines. There is no need to take heavy steroids as they are only taken in cases of moderate or serious infections."

Guleria, who is also a member of the national pandemic task force, added that blood tests can't always prove Covid infections as other underlying diseases can also trigger a spike in biomarkers.

He said people with mild infections should not opt for blood tests.

The top doctor also said that Remdesivir, Tocilizumab and plasma therapy were only emergency measures.

(With inputs from IANS)