D-dimer as a predictive and prognostic marker among COVID-19 patients

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Infectious Diseases
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is a global health crisis with significant hematological implications.
• Understanding coagulation and platelet changes in COVID-19 is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare coagulation parameters and platelet counts in COVID-19 patients versus non-COVID-19 patients.
• To investigate the potential of D-dimer as a severity marker in COVID-19.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective observational study of 112 COVID-19 and 112 non-COVID-19 patients.
• Analysis of laboratory investigations including D-dimer, coagulation profile, and platelet count.
• Correlation of laboratory findings with clinical status and outcomes.

Main Results:

• Significantly elevated D-dimer and activated partial thromboplastin time in COVID-19 patients (p<0.001).
• Significantly decreased international normalized ratio and platelet count in COVID-19 patients (p<0.001).
• Thrombocytopenia was nine times more frequent in COVID-19 patients; D-dimer increased with symptom severity.

Conclusions:

• Elevated D-dimer levels are associated with increased mortality and ICU admission in COVID-19 patients.
• D-dimer serves as a potential predictive and prognostic marker for COVID-19 severity, especially in the ICU.