The chest X-ray radiologic severity index as a determinant of the severity of COVID-19 pneumonia: study based on the duration of treatment and inpatient rooms.

Introduction: The chest X-ray examination is an imaging modality that is widely used in screening for COVID-19 pneumonia. The problems with treating COVID-19 pneumonia patients are the high incidence and severity of the disease and the limitations of treatment room facilities. The chest X-ray Radiologic Severity Index is expected to assist clinicians in obtaining the relationship between the extent of lesions on X-ray and the duration of treatment and hospitalization for COVID-19 pneumonia patients.

Results: This study used an observational method using a retrospective approach. The research subjects were COVID-19 pneumonia patients from March 2020 to April 2021 who were hospitalized at Doctor Kariadi General Hospital Semarang. A total of 105 subjects confirmed positive RT-PCR and received serial X-ray examination services during treatment. The calculation of the RSI value was carried out on all X-ray chest X-rays and then statistically analyzed using the paired test and Mann-Whitney methods. There was no significant relationship between the value of RSI1 and the duration of hospitalization with  = 0.566, as well as the value of RSI2 with the duration of hospitalization with  = 0.715. There is a significant relationship between the values of RSI1 and RSI2 with the use of the intensive care unit with  < 0.000, respectively. There was a significant relationship between the values of RSI1 and RSI2 with the use of ventilators in treatment, with  < 0.000. Furthermore RSI1 and RSI2 have a good result as predictor of intensive care and ventilator usage.

Conclusion: The chest X-ray RSI has no significant relationship with the duration of hospitalization. The value of the chest X-ray RSI has a significant relationship with the use of intensive care rooms and the use of ventilators in treatment. The increase in the RSI value can describe the severity of the disease so that it plays a role in planning the treatment room.