Proposed Imaging Guidelines for Pregnant Women Suspected of Having COVID-19
In view of the indispensable role of imaging studies and CT scans in the diagnosis and follow up of COVID-19 patients, there are reports that CT has a higher sensitivity than Polymerase chain reaction in detecting COVID-19 (1). Also, CT scan has been considered as a necessary part of the evaluation in most suspected subjects (2) or in patients with respiratory complications in order to rule out a wide spectrum of diseases in the differential diagnosis. Given the importance of a closer review of the imaging studies, we decided to evaluate chest CT scans through telemedicine and counseling groups by expert radiologists in our country (3,4).
One of the important patient groups in this pandemic is pregnant women. Because of the associated higher risk of COVID-19 in pregnancy (5) and the defined constraints for use of ionizing radiation in pregnant women (6), the Iranian Society of Radiology devised the following guidelines to gain the maximum benefit from imaging techniques along with optimal protection and safety for pregnant women. In general, ionizing radiation must be avoided in pregnant women as much as possible. Its utilization must be narrowed to limited indications with a high level of protection. The maximum permitted dose of radiation exposure is below 50 mGy in pregnant women. The absorbed dose of radiation for a fetus whose mother undergoes chest x-ray and chest CT scan are 0.002 mGy and 0.2 mGy respectively, which are not associated with known adverse effects on fetal health and thus are safe (3).
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