UTILITY OF CLINICAL AND VIROLOGICAL SCREENING STRATEGY FOR SARS-COV-2 INFECTION PRIOR TO SCHEDULED AMBULATORY DIGESTIVE ENDOSCOPY​​​​

Aims Screening for SARS-CoV-2 infection is currently recommended in patients undergoing endoscopic tests, especially in upper gastrointestinal tract. However, the scientific evidence is not high and there is no clear consensus on the method to be used (clinical and/or virological).​​​​ The aim of the study was to assess the usefulness of SARS-CoV-2 screening by both clinical interview and virological study in outpatients undergoing oral digestive endoscopy.

Methods Retrospective study from prospective data including outpatients with low suspicion of COVID19 infection after telephone clinical screening that were scheduled within 2-5 days for oral endoscopy, from February to September 2021. A nasal smear CRP test for infection by SARS-COV2 was requested in the previous 48 hours from all participants.

Results A total of 1203 patients were invited. 98 patients (8.1%) did not attend virological screening. Finally, 1105 patients were included: 76% men, mean age 71 years (minimum-maximum: 6-99 years). CRP was positive in 12 patients (1.1%): 11 patients with cycle threshold (Ct)>30 (including 4 patients affected from COVID19 in>2 previous months). Two other patients with negative CRP reported possible recent contact with a COVID19 patient. Endoscopy was delayed in all of them, with negative CRP one month later and with trivial endoscopic findings.

Conclusions Clinical screening for SARS-CoV-2 infection prior to ambulatory scheduled endoscopic exploration may be an effective strategy and could prevent universal virological screening in asymptomatic patients undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy.

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Artikel online veröffentlicht:
14. April 2022