Abstract
Background – Studies investigating the relation between
baseline liver abnormality and COVID-19 patients’ outcomes during
hospitalization are scarce. The aim of the study is to address and
characterize this clinically important association.
Methods – Retrospective single-center study of adults
hospitalized with COVID-19 infection for whom the baseline liver
function tests up to one year prior to the admission were available. The
study cohort included hospitalized patients from COVID-19 wards and
specialized COVID-19 intensive care unit. Subjects were divided into a
normal and abnormal baseline LFT groups that were then compared with
respect to demographic characteristics, co-morbidities and patients’
outcomes during hospitalization.
Results – 133 of 444 subjects met the inclusion criteria and
were included in the study. Of them, 50/133 (37.6%) had abnormal
baseline LFTs. The mean age of the cohort subjects was 65.7 ± 22.1 years
and the mean BMI was 28.7 ± 13.0. Subjects with abnormal LFTs were more
likely to die (22% versus 4.8%, p = 0.004) or require
mechanical ventilation (16% versus 4.8%, p = 0.03) during
hospitalization when compared to their normal LFT counterparts.
Multivariate analysis revealed that abnormal baseline LFT (OR 6, 95% CI
2.0 – 18.4) was the strongest predictor of death or requiring
mechanical ventilation followed by diabetes mellitus (OR 4.5, 95% CI
1.3 – 14.8) and congestive heart failure (OR 3.9, 95% CI 1.2 – 12.5).
Conclusion - patients known to have a baseline LFTs abnormality
appear to be at an increased risk for death or mechanical ventilation
during hospitalization with COVID-19.
Keywords – COVID-19; Liver function tests; Death; mechanical
ventilation.