Chest X-Ray Severity Index as a Predictor of Requiring Invasive Positive Pressure Ventilation in COVID-19 Positive Patients

The aim of this study is to see the role of the chest X-ray severity index (Brixia score) as a predictor of requiring invasive positive pressure ventilation in COVID-19-positive patients.This descriptive cross-sectional prospective study were carried out in the Department of Pulmonology and Radiology, Mayo Hospital, Lahore.The data were collected from 1 st May to 30 th July 2020 from 60 consecutive COVID-19 positive patients.Analysis was conducted using each patient's age, gender, clinical presentation, and the report of CXR containing the most elevated score.The mean age of the study participants was 59.43±11.27,and 81.7% of patients had positive Brixia scores (≥8).Brixia score had high sensitivity (93.886) and specificity (90.91%) to predict the need for IPPV using chest X-rays.It showed excellent predictive power, having a high numerical AUC (0.870) and a statistically significant p-value (<0.0001).High Brixia score conferred a high risk of the need for invasive positive pressure ventilation due to COVID-19.