Introduction COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread rapidly across the world. In our study, we aim to investigate the relationship between the liver enzymes on admission (AST, ALT, ALP, GGT) and severity of COVID-19. We evaluated course of disease, hospital stay, liver damage and mortality. Materials and methods Our study included 614 patients who were hospitalized with the diagnosis of COVID-19 between 03.16.20 and 05.12.20. Patients with liver disease, hematological and solid organ malignancy with liver metastases were excluded, resulting in 554 patients who met our inclusion criteria. We retrospectively evaluated liver transaminase levels, AST/ALT ratio, cholestatic enzyme levels and R ratio during hospital admission and these were compared in terms of morbidity, mortality and clinical course. Results Mean age of 554 subjects were 66.21 ± 15.45 years, 328 (59.2%) were men. The mean values of liver enzymes on admission were AST (36.2 ± 33.6 U/L), ALT (34.01 ± 49.34 U/L), ALP (78.8 ± 46.86 U/L), GGT (46.25 ± 60.05 U/L). Mortality rate and need for intensive care unit were statistically significant in subjects that had high ALT–AST levels during their admission to the hospital ( p = 0.001). According to the ROC analysis AST/ALT ratio was a good marker of mortality risk (AUC = 0.713: p = 0.001) and expected probability of intensive care unit admission (AUC = 0.636: p = 0.001). R ratio, which was used to evaluate prognosis, showed a poor prognosis rate of 26.5% in the cholestatic injury group, 36.1% in the mixed pattern group and 30% in the hepato-cellular injury group ( p 0.001). Conclusions ALT–AST elevation and AST/ALT ratio >1 was associated with more severe course and increased mortality in COVID-19.

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Thrombotic and embolic complications in the cardiovascular system are evident and associated with worse prognosis in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Endothelial-specific molecule 1 (endocan) plays a role in vascular pathology. We hypothesized serum endocan levels on admission are associated with primary composite end point (mortality and intensive care unit hospitalization) in COVID-19 patients. Patients (n = 80) with laboratory, clinical, and radiological confirmed COVID-19 were included in this cross-sectional study. Ten milliliter of peripheral venous blood were drawn within 24 hours of admission to estimate serum endocan levels. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0 (IBM). Patients with the primary composite end point had significantly higher serum endocan levels than patients without (852.2 ± 522.7 vs 550.2 ± 440.8 ng/L, respectively; P < .01). In the logistic regression analysis, only increased serum endocan levels and increase in age were independent predictors of the primary composite end point ( P < .05). In the receiver operating characteristics curve analysis, we found that a serum endocan level of 276.4 ng/L had a 97% sensitivity and 85% specificity for prediction of the primary composite end point. Baseline serum endocan levels may prove useful as a prognostic factor in patients hospitalized for COVID-19.

Objective To investigate the role of chest computed tomography (CT) examinations acquired early after initial onset of symptoms in predicting disease course in coronavirus disease 2019. Methods Two hundred sixty-two patients were categorized according to intensive care unit (ICU) admission, survival, length of hospital stay, and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction positivity. Mean time interval between the onset of symptoms and CT scan was 5.2 ± 2.3 days. Groups were compared using Student t test, Mann-Whitney U, and Fisher exact tests. Results In the ICU (+) and died groups, crazy paving (64% and 57.1%), bronchus distortion (68% and 66.7%), bronchiectasis-bronchiolectasis (80% and 76.2%), air trapping (52% and 52.4%) and mediastinal-hilar lymph node enlargement (52% and 52.4%) were significantly more encountered (P < 0,05). These findings were correlated with longer hospital stays (P < 0.05). There were no differences between reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction-positive and -negative patients except bronchiectasis-bronchiolectasis. Conclusion Computed tomography examinations performed early after the onset of symptoms may help in predicting disease course and planning of resources, such as ICU beds.

Objective Older adults have been continuously reported to be at higher risk for adverse outcomes of Covid-19. We aimed to describe clinical characteristics and early outcomes of the older Covid-19 patients hospitalized in our center comparatively with the younger patients, and also to analyze the triage factors that were related to the in-hospital mortality of older adults. Design Retrospective; observational study. Setting Istanbul Faculty of Medicine hospital, Turkey. Participants 362 hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 from March 11 to May 11, 2020. Measurements The demographic information; associated comorbidities; presenting clinical, laboratory, radiological characteristics on admission and outcomes from the electronic medical records were analyzed comparatively between the younger (<65 years) and older (≥65 years) adults. Factors associated with in-hospital mortality of the older adults were analyzed by multivariate regression analyses. Results The median age was 56 years (interquartile range [IQR], 46–67), and 224 (61.9%) were male. There were 104 (28.7%) patients ≥65 years of age. More than half of the patients (58%) had one or more chronic comorbidity. The three most common presenting symptoms in the older patients were fatigue/myalgia (89.4%), dry cough (72.1%), and fever (63.5%). Cough and fever were significantly less prevalent in older adults compared to younger patients (p=0.001 and 0.008, respectively). Clinically severe pneumonia was present in 31.5% of the study population being more common in older adults (49% vs. 24.4%) (p<0.001). The laboratory parameters that were significantly different between the older and younger adults were as follows: the older patients had significantly higher CRP, D-dimer, TnT, pro-BNP, procalcitonin levels, higher prevalence of lymphopenia, neutrophilia, increased creatinine, and lower hemoglobin, ALT, albumin level (p<0.05). In the radiological evaluation, more than half of the patients (54.6%) had moderate-severe pneumonia, which was more prevalent in older patients (66% vs. 50%) (p=0.006). The adverse outcomes were significantly more prevalent in older adults compared to the younger patients (ICU admission, 28.8% vs. 8.9%; mortality, 23.1% vs. 4.3%, p<0.001). Among the triage evaluation parameters, the only factor associated with higher mortality was the presence of clinically severe pneumonia on admission (Odds Ratio=12.3, 95% confidence interval=2.7–55.5, p=0.001). Conclusion Older patients presented with more prevalent chronic comorbidities, less prevalent symptomatology but more severe respiratory signs and laboratory abnormalities than the younger patients. Among the triage assessment factors, the clinical evaluation of pulmonary involvement came in front to help clinicians to stratify the patients for mortality risk.

Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) in COVID-19 patients is associated with poor prognosis. However, the incidence, risk factors and potential outcomes of AKI in hospitalized patients are not well studied. Materials and methods This is a retrospective cohort study conducted in two major university hospitals. Electronic health records of the patients, 18 years or older, hospitalized between 13 April and 1 June 2020 with confirmed COVID-19 were reviewed. We described the incidence and the risk factors for AKI development in COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of AKI on the length of hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) stay, the admission rates to ICU, the percentage of patients with cytokine storm and in-hospital mortality rate. Results Among 770 hospitalized patients included in this study, 92 (11.9%) patients developed AKI. The length of hospitalized days (16 vs 9.9, p < 0.001) and days spent in the hospital until ICU admission (3.5 vs. 2.5, p = 0.003) were higher in the AKI group compared to patients without AKI. In addition, ICU admission rates were also significantly higher in patients with AKI (63% vs. 20.7%, p < 0.001). The percentage of patients with AKI who developed cytokine storm was significantly higher than patients without AKI (25.9% vs. 14%, p = 0.009). Furthermore, the in-hospital mortality rate was significantly higher in patients with AKI (47.2% vs. 4.7%, p < 0.001). Conclusions AKI is common in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, we show that AKI increases the admission rates to ICU and in-hospital mortality. Our findings suggest that AKI should be effectively managed to prevent the adverse outcomes in COVID-19 patients.

Objective: Older adults have been continuously reported to be at higher risk for adverse outcomes of Covid-19. We aimed to describe clinical characteristics and early outcomes of the older Covid-19 patients hospitalized in our center comparatively with the younger patients, and also to analyze the triage factors that were related to the in-hospital mortality of older adults.Design: Retrospective; observational studySetting: Istanbul Faculty of Medicine hospital, TurkeyParticipants: 362 hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 from March 11 to May 11, 2020.Measurements: The demographic information; associated comorbidities; presenting clinical, laboratory, radiological characteristics on admission and outcomes from the electronic medical records were analyzed comparatively between the younger (<65 years) and older (≥65 years) adults. Factors associated with in-hospital mortality of the older adults were analyzed by multivariate regression analyses.Results: The median age was 56 years (interquartile range [IQR], 46-67), and 224 (61.9%) were male. There were 104 (28.7%) patients ≥65 years of age. More than half of the patients (58%) had one or more chronic comorbidity. The three most common presenting symptoms in the older patients were fatigue/myalgia (89.4%), dry cough (72.1%), and fever (63.5%). Cough and fever were significantly less prevalent in older adults compared to younger patients (p=0.001 and 0.008, respectively). Clinically severe pneumonia was present in 31.5% of the study population being more common in older adults (49% vs. 24.4%) (p<0.001). The laboratory parameters that were significantly different between the older and younger adults were as follows: the older patients had significantly higher CRP, D-dimer, TnT, pro-BNP, procalcitonin levels, higher prevalence of lymphopenia, neutrophilia, increased creatinine, and lower hemoglobin, ALT, albumin level (p<0.05). In the radiological evaluation, more than half of the patients (54.6%) had moderate-severe pneumonia, which was more prevalent in older patients (66% vs. 50%) (p=0.006). The adverse outcomes were significantly more prevalent in older adults compared to the younger patients (ICU admission, 28.8% vs. 8.9%; mortality, 23.1% vs. 4.3%, p<0.001). Among the triage evaluation parameters, the only factor associated with higher mortality was the presence of clinically severe pneumonia on admission (Odds Ratio=12.3, 95% confidence interval=2.7-55.5, p=0.001).Conclusion: Older patients presented with more prevalent chronic comorbidities, less prevalent symptomatology but more severe respiratory signs and laboratory abnormalities than the younger patients. Among the triage assessment factors, the clinical evaluation of pulmonary involvement came in front to help clinicians to stratify the patients for mortality risk.

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