The ACC has endorsed clinical guidance from the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) for the use of cardiovascular computed tomography (CCT) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, the document provides guidance for CCT practitioners to help implement international recommendations aimed at decreasing the risk of COVID-19 transmission in their facilities, while emphasizing the health and well-being of CCT providers, trainees, other providers and patients.

The SCCT recommends that CCT providers work with referring physicians on a case-by-case basis to determine the appropriateness and timing of each case, while considering local COVID-19 cases and institutional guidelines.

The guidance suggests CCT facilities adhere to social distancing, encourage sick employees to stay home, ensure flexible sick leave policies, screen patients and visitors for respiratory illness, ensure hand hygiene best practices, consider standard droplet precautions for patients and health care providers, and allow adequate time to clean equipment between patients.

According to the guidance, the benefit of CCT scanning for patients under investigation for suspected COVID-19 or with confirmed COVID-19 will likely be lower than the risk of COVID-19 exposure for health care providers. When CCT scanning is necessary in these cases, personal protection equipment and appropriate environmental cleaning and decontamination should be considered, the document states.

Clinical Topics: COVID-19 Hub, Invasive Cardiovascular Angiography and Intervention, Noninvasive Imaging, Interventions and Imaging, Nuclear Imaging

Keywords: Decontamination, Pandemics, COVID-19, Tomography, Tomography, X-Ray, Radionuclide Imaging, Radiography, Health Personnel, Coronavirus, Coronavirus Infections

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