COVID-19-Associated Cognitive Biases on Pneumonia Differential Diagnosis

TL;DR

This paper discusses how cognitive biases during the COVID-19 pandemic can delay pneumonia diagnosis and presents a case where these biases affected treatment decisions.

Contribution

The paper introduces a clinical case demonstrating the impact of anchoring and availability biases on pneumonia diagnosis during the pandemic.

Findings

Cognitive biases like anchoring and availability can lead to delayed diagnosis of pneumonia during the pandemic.

A case of radiation-induced organizing pneumonia was mismanaged due to these biases before correct diagnosis and treatment.

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic favors cognitive biases such as anchoring and availability biases. The first refers to overvaluing some of the initial information and establishing a diagnosis too early, with resistance to future adjustments. The latter happens when diagnoses more frequently considered are regarded as more common in reality. This case, in which the correct diagnosis was delayed due to these biases, highlights the need to remain aware of them as a means toward timely diagnosis and therapeutic success of pneumonia cases.

An 84-year-old woman presented with a mild non-productive cough for two months and fever. She had a history of breast carcinoma treated with radiotherapy in the previous year. Computerized tomography (CT) showed extensive bilateral consolidation foci with ground-glass-opacification areas and bilateral pleural effusion, CO-RADS 3.

COVID-19 with bacterial superinfection was suspected and levofloxacin was initiated. Nasopharyngeal swab polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was carried out three times, always negative for SARS-CoV-2. As the patient remained with fever and cough, the antibiotic was escalated to piperacillin/tazobactam and then to meropenem/vancomycin. She underwent bronchofibroscopy and alveolar lavage, with negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR. The re-evaluation CT scan maintained bilateral consolidations, with an aerial bronchogram. The biopsy of pulmonary consolidation allowed the diagnosis of radiation-induced organizing pneumonia. Prednisolone was initiated and achieved clinical remission and radiological improvement.

This case highlights the need to remain aware of cognitive biases both when COVID-19 is suspected or ruled out and to consider other diagnoses when there is a lack of therapeutic response.

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