COVID-19 Testing in Patients With Vascular Disorders

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Background: To investigate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in hospitalized patients with vascular disorders after implementing institutional and governmental safety measures. Materials and Methods: Vascular patients (VPs) admitted to our tertiary care hospital were routinely tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection on a two days basis between March and December, 2020. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 was compared between VPs and two independent Austrian populations (April and November 2020) tested by the Austrian Ministry of Science. The results were also compared to a cohort of health care personnel (HCP) working in close proximity to the study patients, tested weekly, between March and December, 2020. RT-PCR and antigen test were used to detect SARS-CoV-2.

Official Title
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COVID-19 Testing in Patients With Vascular Disorders - a Prospective Cohort Study at a Tertiary Care Hospital

Conditions
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Covid19

Intervention / Treatment
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* Diagnostic Test: PCR


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: All inpatient admissions Exclusion Criteria: Outpatient admissions
Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Patient cohort:<br>all patients with vascular disorders consecutively admitted at our tertiary care hospital from March 16 to December 07, 2020 | Diagnostic Test: PCR<br>* Nasal or pharyngeal respiratory swabs were routinely taken of each patient admitted at our departments and repeated regularly at 48 h intervals during the inpatient stay. In the HCP cohort testing for SARS-CoV-2 RNA was performed, on a weekly basis, at the Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Austria, using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Comparability of the results of all test methods used was confirmed by participation in international quality control ring trials.<br>|
| Control cohort:<br>data of two nationwide PCR-based studies conducted in a representative random sample, from April 1-6, and November 12-14, 2020, collected by the Austrian Ministry of Science and the Austrian Red Cross to estimate the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection among the non-hospitalized Austrian population. | Diagnostic Test: PCR<br>* Nasal or pharyngeal respiratory swabs were routinely taken of each patient admitted at our departments and repeated regularly at 48 h intervals during the inpatient stay. In the HCP cohort testing for SARS-CoV-2 RNA was performed, on a weekly basis, at the Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Austria, using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Comparability of the results of all test methods used was confirmed by participation in international quality control ring trials.<br>|
| HCP cohort:<br>HCP worker data, including nurses, nurse technicians, physicians, surgical personal, physical therapists, nurse practitioners, environmental service workers, administrative staff, and dietitians, working in close proximity to admitted patients at our tertiary care hospital from March 16 to December 07, 2020. | Diagnostic Test: PCR<br>* Nasal or pharyngeal respiratory swabs were routinely taken of each patient admitted at our departments and repeated regularly at 48 h intervals during the inpatient stay. In the HCP cohort testing for SARS-CoV-2 RNA was performed, on a weekly basis, at the Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Austria, using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Comparability of the results of all test methods used was confirmed by participation in international quality control ring trials.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection | The primary endpoint of the present study was to determine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with vascular disease after the implementation of institutional and governmental safety measures and compared it to SARS-CoV-2 infections among the general population in Austria. | March 16 to December 07, 2020 |