Bedside echocardiography to predict mortality of COVID-19 patients beyond clinical data: Data from the PROVAR-COVID study

Literature Review-Transthoracic Echocardiography, Computed Tomography Angiography, and Their Value in Clinical Decision Making and Outcome Predictions in Patients with COVID-19 Associated Cardiovascular Complications

The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic posed a great threat to the world's healthcare systems. It resulted in the development of new methods and algorithms for the diagnosis and treatment of both COVID-19 and its complications. Diagnostic imaging played a crucial role in both cases. Among the most widely used examinations are transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and computed tomography angiography (CTA). Cardiovascular complications in COVID-19 are frequently associated with a severe inflammatory response, which results in acute respiratory failure, further leading to severe complications of the cardiovascular system. Our review aims to discuss the value of TTE and CTA in clinical decision making and outcome prediction in patients with COVID-19-associated cardiovascular complications. Our review revealed the high clinical value of various TTE findings and their association with mortality and the prediction of patients' clinical outcomes, especially when used with other laboratory parameters. The strongest association between increased mortality and findings in TTE was observed for tachycardia and decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (odds ratio (OR) 24.06) and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion/pulmonary artery systolic pressure ratio (TAPSE/PASP ratio) < 0.31 mm/mmHg (OR 17.80). CTA is a valuable tool in diagnosing COVID-19-associated pulmonary embolism, but its association with mortality and its predictive role should always be combined with laboratory findings and patients' medical history. D-dimers > 3000 ng/mL were found as the strongest predictors of pulmonary embolism (PE) (OR 7.494). Our review indicates the necessity for an active search for cardiovascular complications in patients with severe COVID-19, as they are linked with an increased probability of fatal outcomes.

Pulmonary hypertension at admission predicts ICU mortality in elderly critically ill with severe COVID-19 pneumonia: retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a useful diagnostic tool for non-invasive assessment of critically ill patients. Mortality of elderly patients with COVID-19 pneumonia is high and there is still scarcity of definitive predictors. Aim of our study was to assess the prediction value of combined lung and heart POCUS data on mortality of elderly critically ill patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia.

METHODS

This was a retrospective observational study. Data of patients older than 70 years, with severe COVID-19 pneumonia admitted to mixed 25-bed, level 3, intensive care unit (ICU) was analyzed retrospectively. POCUS was performed at admission; our parameters of interest were pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) and presence of diffuse B-line pattern (B-pattern) on lung ultrasound.

RESULTS

Between October 2020 and March 2021, 117 patients aged 70 years or more (average age 77 ± 5 years) were included. Average length of ICU stay was 10.7 ± 8.9 days. High-flow oxygenation, non-invasive ventilation and invasive mechanical ventilation were at some point used to support 36/117 (31%), 39/117 (33%) and 75/117 (64%) patients respectively. ICU mortality was 50.9%. ICU stay was shorter in survivors (8.8 ± 8.3 vs 12.6 ± 9.3 days, p = 0.02). PASP was lower in ICU survivors (32.5 ± 9.8 vs. 40.4 ± 14.3 mmHg, p = 0.024). B-pattern was more often detected in non-survivors (35/59 (59%) vs. 19/58 (33%), p = 0.005). PASP and B-pattern at admission, and also mechanical ventilation and development of VAP, were univariate predictors of mortality. PASP at admission was an independent predictor of ICU (OR 1.061, 95%CI 1.003-1.124, p = 0.039) and hospital (OR 1.073, 95%CI 1.003-1.146, p = 0.039) mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Pulmonary artery systolic pressure at admission is an independent predictor of ICU and hospital mortality of elderly patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia.

Influence of right ventricular structure and function on hospital outcomes in COVID-19 patients

BACKGROUND

The impact of the right ventricular (RV) structure and function on the in-hospital outcomes in patients with COVID-19 infection has not been rigorously investigated.

OBJECTIVES

The main aim of our study was to investigate in-hospital outcomes including mortality, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, pressor support, associated with RV dilatation, and RV systolic dysfunction in COVID-19 patients without a history of pulmonary hypertension.

METHODS

It was a single academic tertiary center, retrospective cohort study of 997 PCR-confirmed COVID-19 patients. One hundred ninty-four of those patients did not have a history of pulmonary hypertension and underwent transthoracic echocardiography at the request of the treating physicians for clinical indications. Clinical endpoints which included mortality, ICU admission, need for mechanical ventilation or pressor support were abstracted from the electronic charts.

RESULTS

Patients' mean age was 68+/-16 years old and 42% of the study population were females. COPD was reported in 13% of the study population, whereas asthma was 10%, and CAD was 25%. The mean BMI was 29.8+/-9.5 kg/m2. Overall mortality was 27%, 46% in ICU patients, and 9% in the rest of the cohort. There were no significant differences in co-morbidities between expired patients and the survivors. A total of 19% of patients had evidence of RV dilatation and 17% manifested decreased RV systolic function. RV dilatation or decreased RV systolic function were noted in 24% of the total study population. RV dilatation was significantly more common in expired patients (15% vs 29%, p = 0.026) and was associated with increased mortality in patients treated in the ICU (HR 2.966, 95%CI 1.067-8.243, p = 0.037), who did not need require positive pressure ventilation, IV pressor support or acute hemodialysis.

CONCLUSIONS

In hospitalized COVID-19 patients without a history of pulmonary hypertension, RV dilatation is associated with a 2-fold increase in inpatient mortality and a 3-fold increase in ICU mortality.

Long-term cardio-vascular risk assessment in chronic kidney disease and kidney transplanted patients following SARS-COV-2 disease: protocol for multi-center observational match controlled trial

BACKGROUND

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) produced a pandemic since March 2020 by affecting more than 243 million people with more than 5 million deaths globally. SARS-CoV-2 infection is produced by binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme, which among other sites is highly expressed in the endothelial cells of the blood vessels, pericytes and the heart, as well as in renal podocytes and proximal tubular epithelial cells. SARS-CoV-2 and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are interconnected by risk factors association with an increased incidence of the disease and by determining de novo cardiac complications. At the same time, COVID-19 disease can lead to acute kidney injury directly, or due to sepsis, multi-organ failure and shock. Therefore, the pre-existence of both CVD and chronic kidney disease (CKD) is linked with a higher risk of severe disease and worse prognosis.

METHODS

The main aim of this study is to assess the CV risk in a CKD (stage 3 to 5), dialysis and kidney transplanted population, following SARS-CoV-2 infection, with focus on the endothelial dysfunction as compared to a control group of matched patients. By using clinical evaluation, flow-mediated dilatation, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, intima-media thickness, echocardiographic parameters, lung ultrasound, bioimpedance spectroscopy and a series of novel biomarkers, the investigators will determine the long-term impact of this disease on CV and renal outcomes.

DISCUSSION

This study will address the challenges and implications in long-term CV sequeale of COVID-19 and focus on a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms and possible therapeutic options.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Patient enrolment in the trial started in January 2021 and is expected to finish at the end of 2022. The study can be found on ClinicalTrials.gov database with NCT05125913 identifier. Registered on 18 November 2021 - Retrospectively registered.