A systematic review and metanalysis of diagnostic yield of BAL for detection of SARS-CoV-2

Microbiological confirmation by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is considered the gold standard for diagnosing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection1. Oropharyngeal (OP) and nasopharyngeal swabs (NP) were most frequently used samples. While OP and NP swabs are the least invasive method of obtaining samples in patients with a contagious respiratory disease, false-negative results may result from sampling error or low amounts of virus in the collected sample (due to early or late sampling or patient having mild disease2).
Source: Heart and Lung - Category: Intensive Care Authors: Source Type: research