Collateral Impact on Patients of Liver Diseases in the Second COVID-19 Wave: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India started in April 2021. This necessitated a change in focus from chronic ailments. This wave lasted till May 2021. Its impact on liver disease patients without COVID-19 infection has not been analyzed. Methods Records of liver disease patients from the Institute database admitted from April to May 2021 were compared with that from April to May 2019 i.e., prior to the pandemic. The primary outcome was a comparison of in-hospital mortality rates. Secondary outcomes were a comparison of 30 and 90-day readmission rates and liver transplantation rates. Results Seven hundred and seventy-one patients in April-May 2019 (group 1) and 545 patients in April-May 2021 (group 2) were analyzed. Patients in group 2 were sicker with higher PT (INR), urea, creatinine, CTP, and MELD score and low serum sodium, albumin, and platelet count with a higher prevalence of variceal bleed, hepatic encephalopathy, and acute kidney injury. There was higher mortality in group 2 (128/545; 23.5%) than group 1 (124/ 771;16.1%), OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2 - 2.1, p<0.01. 30 day readmission rate was numerically higher in group1; 18.3% vs 16.9%, p=0.5. The 31-90 day readmission rate was higher in group 1; 29.4% vs 16.9%, p<0.01. There was no significant difference in the number of patients undergoing liver transplantation in two groups, 19 in group 1 and 14 in group 2 (p=0.90). Conclusion The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant collateral impact on liver disease patients even without causing infection in them. Patients were sicker at the time of admission with higher mortality.