Most commonly used imaging methods for the detection of COVID-19. Literature review

Abstract

The aim of this study is to comprehensively review the literature on the imaging techniques most commonly used to diagnose COVID-19. In the present work, a literature review was conducted, performing a reflexive critical analysis of the theoretical content of different updated scientific articles, obtained from PubMed, Cochrane databases. Different inclusion criteria were determined as year of publication between 2017 and 2023, scientific articles in English and Spanish, whose content had to be related to the pre-established topic. The findings show that chest computed tomography, thoracic radiography and lung ultrasound are the most commonly used imaging methods for the detection of coronavirus disease. It is concluded that three imaging techniques frequently used for the detection of COVID-19 were analyzed. Among them are thoracic radiography, whose devices are easy to handle and disinfect; its price is accessible and stands out for its careful emission of X-rays in the part of the body to be examined; computed tomography, which allows an early diagnosis by evaluating pulmonary involvement and an assessment of the response to treatment, is sophisticated and provides detailed images to improve the results; and finally, pulmonary ultrasound, which stands out for its versatility.