Naina Mishra
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, November 30

A PGI study has found that high inflammatory parameters and deranged creatinine predicted severe Covid illness among virus-infected patients admitted to the hospital for treatment.

The study was conducted by 32 PGI doctors, including Dr GD Puri, Dr Pankaj Malhotra, Dr Ashish Bhalla, Dr Vikas Suri, Dr Mini P Singh and Dr Vipin Koushal.

Results

Of the total enrolled patients, 42% were symptomatic. The common complaints among these patients were fever (77%), cough (54%) and shortness of breath (20.8%)

Age more than 60 years and diabetes and hypertension were significantly associated with severe Covid disease.

“High inflammatory parameters, hypalbuminaemia (low level of albumin in blood) and deranged creatinine (kidney function test) predicted severe Covid illness,” said the study.

According to the study, significantly higher levels of inflammatory biomarkers at admission were found among patients with underlying comorbidity as compared to those without comorbidity.

Abnormal lab findings of patients

At admission, leucocyte counts (white blood cell) had increased in 15 per cent of the patients.

13% of the patients had thrombocytopaenia (low level of platelets) and 34 per cent had anaemia.

41% of patients had high C-reactive protein (condition causing inflammation in the body).

During the study period, 114 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection were admitted.

Hypertension, diabetes common comorbidity

Out of the total admitted patients enrolled in the study, 29.8 per cent patients had associated comorbid condition of varying severity. These included hypertension (16.6%), diabetes (14.9%) and chronic renal disease (2.6%) patients. Besides, 8.7% also had multiple comorbidities.

Though symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection was encountered in 42 per cent patients, severe illness was seen in 15.7 per cent patients only who were critically ill at the admission and thus required intensive care services.

Nearly half with respiratory symptoms

As per the study, fever was noted only in three-fourth of the patients and respiratory symptoms in nearly half of them. Around 17 per cent of total patients had hypoxia (low oxygen supply) at presentation, 31 per cent had tachypnoea (abnormally rapid breathing), 1.7 per cent patients required noninvasive ventilation and 2.6 per cent were mechanically ventilated.

‘Follow asymptomatic patients closely’

Fifty-eight per cent of the patients in the study were asymptomatic at admission and only two became subsequently symptomatic during the hospital stay. The study found abnormalities in laboratory parameters in 25 per cent of the asymptomatic patients. “These observations reiterate the fact that asymptomatic patients need to be followed closely as some of them may progress to severe disease,” said the study.