Diagnostic accuracy of clinical gestalt of doctors with different experiences in COVID-19 suspected patients

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the ability of physicians' predictions to predict mortality in COVID-19 patients and compare physician predictions with scores developed for COVID-19 patients in predicting mortality and patient worsening. This study was conducted prospectively in the emergency department. Patient data were collected between 20.03.2021 and 20.06.2021. Patients who applied to our hospital with COVID-19 symptoms and were confirmed to be COVID-19 by rt-PCR results were included in our study. Patients aged 18 years and over who were tr-PCR positive were included in the study. Quick COVID-19 Severity Index (qCSI), Brescia-COVID Respiratory Severity Scale (BCRSS), and CURB- 65 scale were calculated and recorded by a researcher. A total of 176 patients were included in our study. There was no significant relationship between physicians' gestalt and 28-day mortality (p=0.121, p=0.282, Mann-Whitney U Test, respectively). Physicians' gestalt was found to be insufficient to predict mortality in COVID-19 patients. There was a significant difference between the CURB-65 short-term mortality group and the survivors.