The Role of Chest Computed Tomography Imaging in Patient Management During the Coronavirus Disease Pandemic in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-sectional Study

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the role of chest computed tomography (CT) imaging in patient management during COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire including 39 multiple-choice questions was distributed to radiologists and radiographic technologists through social media in Saudi Arabia during 13-23 May 2020, after obtaining the ethical approval. Results: The results from 33 hospitals in Saudi Arabia showed that the role of CT's in managing COVID-19 patients was limited to only around 9% of 3049 patients who underwent chest CT. In addition, the CT technologists were exposed to infection with coronavirus in 6 (18%) radiology departments, whereas in the other 27 departments, the CT technologists were not exposed to the infection with the virus. Conclusions: Despite their high sensitivity, CT scans have played a limited role in the management of COVID-19 and may not be a practical approach to perform routine screening.