• Joseph Osterwalder.
• Polipraxis Permanence, St. Gallen.
• Praxis (Bern 1994). 2020 Jan 1; 109 (8): 583-591.

AbstractCOVID-19 - More Lung Pocus and Sparing Use of Stethoscope, Chest X-Ray and Lung CT Abstract. For an optimal management of COVID-19 (Coronary Virus Disease) we depend on a fast and reliable diagnosis and severity assessment. The gold standard so far is RT-PCR (reverse transcriptase polmerase chain reaction) from the nasopharyngeal smear. Current tests have a sensitivity of 60-90 %. As a consequence, we must expect 10-40 % false negative results. In addition to oxygen saturation for severity classification, stethoscope, chest X-ray and lung computer tomography are routinely used. However, the standard methods stethoscope and chest X-ray are unreliable. Moreover, all three diagnostic examination techniques expose physicians, support staff and subsequent patients to an additional risk of exposure. In view of the contagiousness of SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus), lung point-of-care ultrasound (Lu-PoCUS) is a still underutilized valuable alternative, especially when using pocket devices. In this review the current value and role of stethoscope, pulsoxymetry, chest x ray, lung computer tomography and lung point-of-care ultrasound will be determined based on the available literature.

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