To Retest or Not to Retest the Experience of a Cardiology Emergency Clinic During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract Acute cardiovascular pathology can frequently resemble the clinical and paraclinical picture of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The present paper aims to present the experience of a cardiology clinic during this pandemic and describe the way in which the clinical station was organized in order to limit in-hospital transmission of the virus. Methods Patients admitted to an emergency cardiology department between May 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 were retrospectively identified and divided into two groups: (1) those positive for SARS-CoV2 infection and (2) those with an initial negative test, but high suspicion for the infection, who were tested at least twice by RT-PCR. We followed the motivation for retesting as well as possible correlations between clinical and paraclinical parameters and the decision to retest. Results A number of 334 patients were identified, 51 with a first positive RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV2 infection, and 276 who were tested for infection at least twice. The most common reasons for retesting were lung imaging and existence of subfever. The best predictive model for the outcome of the second RT-PCR test included the presence of lymphopenia, subpleural condensation, highest temperature during hospitalization, and the presence of at least two COVID-19 symptoms. Conclusion The balance between prompt detection of patients with high suspicion of SARS-CoV2 infection (through PCR re-testing) and misuse of material resources should be guided by clinical algorithms.