Predictors of biliary intervention in patients hospitalized for COVID-19

Gastrointestinal complications of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) include abnormal liver function and acalculous cholecystitis. Cholecystostomy performed during the COVID-19 pandemic reflected a shift toward non-surgical treatment of cholecystitis and increased number of critically ill patients suffering from acalculous cholecystitis.

(1) To determine demographic, clinical, laboratory, and ultrasound features associated with cholecystostomy placement during hospitalization for COVID-19. (2) To develop multivariable logistic regression modeling for likelihood of biliary intervention.

This retrospective review received institutional review board approval. Informed consent was waived. Between March 2020 and June 2020, patients with confirmed SARS-CoV2 infection admitted to New York-Presbyterian Hospital (NYP)/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NYP/Lower Manhattan Hospital, and NYP/Queens were evaluated for inclusion in this study. Inclusion criteria were (1) patient age ≥ 18, (2) confirmed COVID-19 infection by polymerase chain reaction testing of a nasopharyngeal swab, and (3) abdominal ultrasound performed during hospitalization. Exclusion criteria were (1) history of cholecystectomy and (2) biliary intervention performed prior to abdominal ultrasound. Patients were stratified into two groups based on whether they received cholecystostomy during hospitalization. Differences in demographics, medical history, clinical status, medications, laboratory values, and ultrasound findings between the two groups were evaluated using Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables and t test or Wilcoxon-rank sum test for continuous variables. Multivariable logistic regression was used to model likelihood of biliary intervention.

Nine patients underwent cholecystostomy placement and formed the "Intervention Group." 203 patients formed the "No Intervention Group." Liver size and diuretics use during hospitalization were the only variables which were significantly different between the two groups, with p-values of 0.02 and 0.046, respectively. After controlling for diuretics use, the odds of receiving cholecystostomy increased by 30% with every centimeter increase in liver size (p = 0.03). ICU admission approached significance (p = 0.16), as did mechanical ventilation (p = 0.09), septic shock (p = 0.08), serum alkaline phosphatase level (p = 0.16), and portal vein patency (0.14).

Patients requiring biliary intervention during hospital admission for COVID-19 were likely to harbor liver injury in the form of liver enlargement and require diuretics use.