Reversed Halo sign in the chest CT scan is commonly associated with:

DSSSB October 2024

Medical & Surgical Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: DSSSB October 2024

Explanation

The reversed halo sign, seen in the image, consists of a central ground-glass opacity surrounded by a ring of consolidation.
This pattern is characteristic of organizing pneumonia, which is a pathological process of lung repair.
Organizing pneumonia is a recognized and common manifestation of lung injury in patients with COVID-19.
Among the given choices, only COVID-19 is a pulmonary infectious disease known to be associated with this specific CT finding.

Option A: Pyloric stenosis is a gastrointestinal condition involving the narrowing of the stomach outlet in infants.
Option B: Tricuspid atresia is a congenital heart defect where the tricuspid valve is absent, preventing blood flow from the right atrium to the right ventricle.
Option D: Truncus arteriosus is a rare congenital heart defect where a single large vessel arises from the heart, instead of a separate aorta and pulmonary artery.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Interpretation of radiological signs on a chest CT scan and their clinical associations as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Recognizing specific radiological signs like the reversed halo sign helps nurses anticipate potential diagnoses and understand the underlying pathophysiology, such as organizing pneumonia.
This sign can indicate a specific phase of lung disease (e.g., the organizing phase of COVID-19), which may have implications for treatment and prognosis.
A nurse observing a report mentioning a 'reversed halo sign' should be prepared for managing a patient with significant pneumonitis and potential respiratory compromise.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key term in the question: 'Reversed Halo sign' and the imaging modality 'chest CT scan'.
Second, recall or deduce the clinical meaning of this sign. It is a specific pattern seen in the lung tissue.
Third, evaluate the given options. Notice that three options (Pyloric stenosis, Tricuspid atresia, Truncus arteriosus) are not primary lung diseases. They are gastrointestinal or cardiac conditions.
Fourth, use the process of elimination. Pyloric stenosis is diagnosed with abdominal ultrasound. The congenital heart defects are diagnosed with echocardiography. None of these would present with a specific sign within the lung parenchyma on a CT scan.
Fifth, conclude that COVID-19, a respiratory illness known to cause severe pneumonia and various CT findings, is the only plausible association among the choices.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Interpretation of radiological signs on a chest CT scan and their clinical associations.
Stem keywords: Reversed Halo sign, chest CT scan
Lead-in keywords: commonly associated with
Clinical cues: The specific radiological finding 'Reversed Halo sign' is the key to the question.

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E6 Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics(2024) — Volume 1 p. 2050-2052

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