Echocardiographic assessment of right ventricular dysfunction and outcome in patients with severe Covid-19 Pneumonia

ABSTRACT

Background

Fatal cardiovascular complications and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) account for the majority of SARS-CoV-2-associated deaths. The objective of this research was to find transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) of right ventricular (RV) dysfunction parameters that can be utilized to predict outcomes in individuals with severe COVID-19 pneumonia;

Methods

This observational research included 90 cases with severe COVID-19 pneumonia subjected to TTE on the day of admission and 3rd day to determine the relationship between severity, mortality in severe COVID-19 pneumonia and RV function parameters;

Results

TAPSE, SPAP, RVD, RV-WT, and RV-FAC had significant differences among the two groups. PaO₂/FiO₂ and average MAP were significantly correlated with all RV parameters. Adjusted multivariate regression analysis on day 1 showed that TAPSE and SPAP followed by RVFAC were significantly related to mortality. While on day 3, it was revealed that RVFAC then SPAP were significantly related to mortality. SPAP, with a cutoff point >46 mmHg, was the most sensitive parameter, while the most specific to predict mortality was TAPSE, with a cutoff point ≤15 mm.

Conclusions

In cases with severe COVID-19 pneumonia, prediction of mortality can be performed by measuring RV parameters by TTE with high sensitivity and specificity.

Highlights

• Relation between RV and COVID-19

• RV TE parameters could be used to predict mortality and TTE has high sensitivity.

What are the main findings?

• TTE parameters of the RV had high sensitivity and specificity

• Prediction of death in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia.

KEYWORDS:

• Covid-19
• Pneumonia
• right
• ventricle

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.