Postmortem diagnosis of COVID-19: Antemortem challenges of three cases at the 37 Military Hospital, Accra, Ghana
African Journal of Laboratory Medicine
| Field | Value | |
| Title | Postmortem diagnosis of COVID-19: Antemortem challenges of three cases at the 37 Military Hospital, Accra, Ghana | |
| Creator | Attoh, Seth A. Hobenu, Frederick Edusei, Lawrence Agyeman-Bediako, Kwasi Laryea, Clement T. Nyarko, Edward O. Amedi, Michael K. Asmah, Richard H. Asumanu, Edward McAddy, Mary Maison, Anthony Nyarko, Godwin Fatchu, Raymond D. Akakpo, Kafui | |
| Description | Background: Consistency among clinical symptoms, laboratory results and autopsy findings can be a quality measure in the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). There have been classic clinical cases that have met the case definition of COVID-19 but real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) tests of nasopharyngeal swabs were negative.Objectives: This study aimed to share pathological observations of autopsies performed at the 37 Military Hospital’s Department of Anatomical Pathology on three presumed COVID-19 cases in Accra, Ghana.Method: Complete autopsies with detailed gross and histopathological analysis were conducted between April 2020 and May 2020 on three suspected COVID-19 cases, of which two had initial negative (rRT-PCR) nasopharyngeal tests. Postmortem bronchopulmonary samples of two cases were collected and tested by rRT-PCR for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).Results: The two postmortem bronchopulmonary samples tested for SARS-CoV-2 by rRT-PCR were positive. Though no postmortem bronchopulmonary sample was taken from the third case, a close contact tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in later contact tracing. For all three cases, lung histopathological findings were consistent with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.Conclusion: The outcome of COVID-19 testing is dependent on the sample type and accuracy of sampling amongst other factors. Histopathological findings vary and may be dependent on a patient’s modifying factors, as well as the duration of infection. More autopsies are required to fully understand the pathogenesis of this disease in Ghanaians. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2020-11-03 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/ajlm.v9i1.1290 | |
| Source | African Journal of Laboratory Medicine; Vol 9, No 1 (2020); 8 pages 2225-2010 2225-2002 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://ajlmonline.org/index.php/ajlm/article/view/1290/1711
https://ajlmonline.org/index.php/ajlm/article/view/1290/1710
https://ajlmonline.org/index.php/ajlm/article/view/1290/1712
https://ajlmonline.org/index.php/ajlm/article/view/1290/1709
|
|
ADVERTISEMENT
