Fecal occult blood and urinary cytology tests for rapid screening of inflammatory infection in the gastrointestinal and urological systems in patients with Coronavirus disease 2019

Abstract

Background Gastrointestinal infections (GI) and urological infections (UI) have not been fully addressed in COVID‐19 patients. We aimed to evaluate the values of routine fecal occult blood (FOB) test and urinary cytology test (UCT) for screening of GI and UI in COVID‐19 patients. Methods In this retrospective study, COVID‐19 patients without associated comorbidities were divided into FOB‐ or UCT‐positive or FOB‐ or UCT‐negative groups. Their clinical characteristics and laboratory findings were then compared. Results A total of 13.6% of patients (47 of 345) tested positive for FOB, and 57.4% (27 of 47) of these patients lacked gastrointestinal symptoms. A total of 30.1% of patients (104 of 345) exhibited gastrointestinal symptoms, and 38.0% (131 of 345) were positive for either FOB or gastrointestinal symptoms. FOB‐positive patients possessed significantly higher levels of C‐reactive protein and fewer lymphocytes than FOB‐negative patients. A total of 36.9% of patients (80 of 217) exhibited positive UCT, and 97.5% (78 of 80) of these patients possessed normal levels of serum markers for renal injuries. Significant differences in age and sex ratios were observed between the UCT‐positive and UCT‐negative groups, and 72.4% (42 of 58) of female patients over 60 years old were UCT‐positive. Conclusions Fecal occult blood test in combination with gastrointestinal symptoms could serve as a simple and useful screening approach for GI diagnoses for COVID‐19. Age and sex are risk factors for UI in COVID‐19 patients. UCT could be a sensitive tool for assessing early UI at a stage in which serum markers for renal injuries appear normal.

Implications of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection for neurogastroenterology

“…In patients presenting to the clinician with acute onset of gastrointestinal symptoms, particularly diarrhea, information regarding high-risk contact exposure and the presence of other symptoms should be investigated. 122 Fecal occult blood + In 38% of patients with GI symptoms 161 6 | OUTCOME AND PROG NOS IS…”

Evaluation of stool and urine parameters correlation to CRP and D-dimer in COVID-19 infected adults and their contact children

“…It is also recommended to screen the stool composition as well as to assess the activity of gut microbes [8]. Many authors have been highlighting the importance of urine and stool assessment in COVID-19 cases and emphasized that these simple inexpensive measures are of value; particularly for individuals in underdeveloped countries and remote regions and countries where molecular diagnosis resources are lacking [9].…”

Long COVID: A Molecular, Cellular and Histopathology Overview

“…In addition, the administration of antibiotics can also cause dysbiosis and potentiate the consequences of the microbiota imbalance caused by the infection [71] [72].Associated with microbiological investigation the imaging of the abdominal region can also offer a particularly important tool for monitoring the infection.In fact, patients with gastrointestinal symptoms are more prone to chronic liver disease and, therefore, more susceptible to complications from SARS[73] [74].In the retrospective cross-sectional study carried out by Bhayana et al (2020), the main morphological observations were abnormalities in the intestinal wall, such as thickening of the small intestine, colon, and rectum, being more common in patients admitted to the ICU[73].Other data show the possible development of irritable bowel syndrome and post-infection dyspepsia especially whether have pre-existing digestive diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease[75]. The identification of calprotectin and occult blood in fecal samples from patients hospitalized with COVID-19 also are tools to indicate inflammation and tissue damage existence[76] [77]. Although different damage could be observed in the acute phase of the disease, to date no studies published the persistence of gastrointestinal manifestations post-acute phase of COVID-19.…”