The Correlation between Initial D-dimer Levels and the Length of ICU Stay of the COVID-19 Patients in Dr. Soetomo General Hospital from April 2020 to March 2021

Abstract

Approximately 10-15% of COVID-19 patients become severely ill and require intensive care. One of the laboratory tests used in monitoring patients in the ICU is D-dimer. Elevated levels of D-dimer can predict the disease severity and mortality. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between D-dimer levels and ICU length of stay in patients with COVID-19.This was an analytical observational study with a cross-sectional design and a retrospective approach. The secondary data were in the form of confirmed COVID-19 patients at Dr. Soetomo General Hospital Surabaya from April 2020 to March 2021.The median of continuous variables was compared with the Mann-Whitney U test. The correlation was determined using the Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient test. Based on the criteria, it was obtained a sample of 120 patients with the median of initial D-dimer 2225 (855 -6122.5) ng/mL FEU and the median duration of the ICU stay 9 (1 -32) days. The result of the comparative analysis of the initial D-dimer levels on clinical outcomes indicated a p-value of 0.012. Patients with life clinical outcomes showed a relationship between initial D-dimer levels and the length of ICU stay (p = 0.328; (r 2 ) = 0.309) while in patients with death clinical outcomes was (p =0.023; (r 2 ) = -0.219). Elevated D-dimer levels as a marker of thrombosis were reported. Increased D-dimer levels correlated with mortality. Thus, there was a correlation between initial D-dimer levels and length of ICU stay in COVID-19 patients with death clinical outcome.