Journal Article

A Retrospective Study: Evaluating the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Inflammatory Markers in Hospitalized Patients

Alzahrani, Faisal M., Alshehri, Ahmad Mohammad, AlBahrani, Salma, Al Khalaf, Faisal Salem, Al Atawi, Amjad Saleh, Elnagi, Elmoeiz A., Al-Maqati, Thekra N., Alanazi, Maha, Al-Jamea, Lamiaa H., Al Bassam, Ibrahim, Maawadh, Rawan M., Suliman, Rania Saad, Abdali, Abdullah S., Nazzal, Wael, ALshammari, Adnan Awad

2024

Overview

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact globally, and understanding the relationship between inflammatory markers and disease progression is crucial for effective management. This retrospective study aimed to examine the association between various inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), D-dimer, ferritin, and procalcitonin (PCT), and the characteristics of disease progression and outcomes in individuals affected by COVID-19. Methods: This study collected raw data from 470 patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 using RT-PCR. Results: The logistic regression analysis revealed that elevated LDH levels were associated with male gender, ICU admission, low oxygen saturation (O2 < 93%), the need for mechanical ventilation, death, and the presence of lung infiltrates. Higher D-dimer levels were associated with older age, diabetes mellitus, cardiac disease, and low oxygen saturation. Ferritin levels were significantly associated with older age, ICU admission, low oxygen saturation, mechanical ventilation, and lung infiltrates. In contrast, CRP was only significant regarding lung infiltrates and procalcitonin levels were not significantly associated with any of the examined factors. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of monitoring key inflammatory markers, such as LDH, D-dimer, and ferritin, as they are significantly associated with the severity of COVID-19 illness. These findings can inform clinical decision-making and guide the development of targeted interventions to improve patient outcomes.

• Publisher: MDPI AG,MDPI
• Subject: C-reactive protein / Coronary artery disease / COVID-19 / CRP / Cytokine storm / cytokines storm / D-dimer / Decision making / Diabetes / Diabetes mellitus / Dimers / Erythrocyte sedimentation rate / ESR / Ferritin / Health sciences / Heart diseases / Immunology / Infections / Intensive care / L-Lactate dehydrogenase / Lactate dehydrogenase / LDH / Lungs / Mechanical properties / Mechanical ventilation / Medical records / Mortality / Oxygen / Oxygen content / Oxygen saturation / Pandemics / Patients / Plasma / Procalcitonin / Regression analysis / Respiratory diseases / Respiratory distress syndrome / Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 / Ventilation / Ventilators / Viral diseases / Viral infections