A proposed ABCD scoring system for better triage of patients with COVID-19: Use of clinical features and radiopathological findings

• Published in: Diabetes & metabolic syndrome clinical research & reviews 2020-11, Vol.14 (6), p.1637-1640
• Main Authors: Salunke, Abhijeet Ashok, Warikoo, Vikas, Kumar Pathak, Subodh, Nandy, Kunal, Mujawar, Jalil, Mendhe, Harshal, Shah, Anand, Kottakota, Vishwanth, Menon, Vivek, Pandya, Shashank
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ABCD Score; Age Factors; Corona disease score; COVID-19 - blood; COVID-19 - diagnostic imaging; COVID-19 scoring system; Dyspnea - blood; Dyspnea - diagnostic imaging; Hematologic Tests - methods; Hematologic Tests - standards; Humans; Letter to the Editor; Patient Admission - standards; Severity of Illness Index; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - standards; Triage - methods; Triage - standards; Triage score
• ISSN: 1871-4021; 1878-0334
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dsx.2020.08.019

Currently there are limited tools available for triage of patients with COVID -19. We propose a new ABCD scoring system for patients who have been tested positive for COVID-19. The ABCD score is for patients who have been tested positive for COVID-19 and admitted in a hospital. This score includes age of the patient, blood tests included leukopenia, lymphocytopenia, CRP level, LDH level,D-Dimer, Chest radiograph and CT Scan, Comorbidities and Dyspnea. The triage score had letters from alphabets which included A, B, C, D. The score was developed using these variables which outputs a value from 0 to 1. We had used the code according to traffic signal system; green(mild), yellow moderate) and red(severe). The suggestions for mild (green)category: symptomatic treatment in ward, in moderate (yellow) category: active treatment, semi critical care and oxygen supplementation, in severe (red) category: critical care and intensive care. This study is, to our knowledge, is the first scoring tool that has been prepared by Indian health care processional’s and used alphabets A, B,C,D as variables for evaluation of admitted patients with COVID-19. This triage tool will be helpful in better management of patients with COVID-19. This score component includes clinical and radiopathological findings.A multi-centre study is required to validate all available scoring systems. •ABCD score can be a tool for triage COVID-19 + patients.•This score component includes clinical and radiopathological findings.•Use of alphabets can be helpful for health care professionals.