Utility of a Pulmonary Oedema Score for Predicting the Need for Mechanical Ventilation in COVID-19 Patients in a General Hospital.

Background: The Radiographic Assessment of Lung Edema (RALE) score has been used to estimate the extent of pulmonary damage in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome and might be useful in patients with COVID-19.

Aim Of The Study: To examine factors associated with the need for mechanical ventilation in hospitalized patients with a clinical diagnosis of COVID-19, and to estimate the predictive value of the RALE score.

Methods: In a series of patients admitted between April 14 and August 28, 2020, with a clinical diagnosis of COVID-19, we assessed lung involvement on the chest radiograph using the RALE score.