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

Hasan Ali Barman1,2, Adem Atici3, Esra Aktas Tekin4

  • 1Institute of Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Istanbul University, Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey. drhasanali@hotmail.com.

The International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging
|October 8, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Severe COVID-19 patients show impaired cardiac function, with larger ventricles and reduced ejection fraction compared to non-severe cases. Echocardiography reveals significant differences in cardiac dimensions and function between severe and non-severe COVID-19 patients.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • COVID-19 can lead to cardiac involvement, significantly increasing mortality rates.
  • Understanding echocardiographic differences in COVID-19 patients is crucial for prognosis.
  • Cardiac dysfunction is a key factor in the high mortality observed in severe COVID-19.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and compare echocardiographic features between severe and non-severe COVID-19 patient groups.
  • To identify echocardiographic parameters indicative of disease severity and prognosis in COVID-19 patients.

Main Methods:

  • Single-center study analyzing data from 90 hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
  • Two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE) performed on all patients.
  • Comparison of right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular (LV) function parameters between severe and non-severe groups.

Main Results:

  • Severe COVID-19 patients exhibited larger RV and LV diameters, lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and reduced RV fractional area change (RV-FAC).
  • Pericardial effusions were more frequent in the severe group (23% vs. 0%).
  • LVEF, right atrial diameter, high-sensitivity troponin I, d-dimer, and systolic pulmonary artery pressure were independent predictors of RV dilatation.

Conclusions:

  • COVID-19 infection, particularly in severe cases, leads to decreased right and left ventricular function.
  • Two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE) is a valuable bedside tool for assessing the clinical status and prognosis of COVID-19 patients.
  • Echocardiographic findings can help stratify risk and guide management in COVID-19 patients with cardiac involvement.

Keywords:
COVID-19Cardiac injuryTwo-dimensional echocardiography

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