Echocardiographic features of patients with COVID-19 infection: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

COVID-19 patients with cardiac involvement have a high mortality rate. The aim of this study was to investigate the echocardiographic features in COVID-19 patients between severe and non-severe groups. For this single-center study, data from patients who were treated for COVID-19 between March 25, 2020 and April 15, 2020 were collected. Two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE) images were obtained for all patients. Patients were divided into two groups based on the severity of their COVID-19 infections. 2DE parameters indicating right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular (LV) functions were compared between the two groups. A total of 90 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 were included in this study. The mean age of the severe group (n = 44) was 63.3 +/- 15.7 years, and 54% were male. The mean age of non-severe group (n = 46) was 49.7 +/- 21.4 years, and 47% were male. In the severe group, RV and LV diameters were larger (RV, 36.6 +/- 5.9 mm vs. 33.1 +/- 4.8 mm, p = 0.003; LV 47.3 +/- 5.8 mm vs. 44.9 +/- 3.8 mm, p = 0.023), the LE ejection fraction (LVEF) and the RV fractional area change (RV-FAC) were lower (LVEF, 54.0 +/- 9.8% vs. 61.9 +/- 4.8%, p < 0.001; RV-FAC, 41.4 +/- 4.1% vs. 45.5 +/- 4.5%, p < 0.001), and pericardial effusions were more frequent (23% vs. 0%) compared to patients in the non-severe group. A multiple linear regression analysis determined that LVEF, right atrial diameter, high-sensitivity troponin I, d-dimer, and systolic pulmonary artery pressure, were independent predictors of RV dilatation. The results demonstrate that both right and left ventricular functions decreased due to COVID-19 infection in the severe group. 2DE is a valuable bedside tool and may yield valuable information about the clinical status of patients and their prognoses.