EVALUATION OF D-DIMER LEVEL AS A BIOMARKER OF DISEASE SEVERITY AND MORTALITY IN PATIENTS WITH COVID-19

The aim: To examine risk factors and evaluate the use of D-dimer as a biomarker of disease severity and mortality in patients with COVID-19.

Materials and methods: Data from a large NYU Langone Health system were analyzed to examine the prevalence of elevated D-dimer levels at first detection and the trend. A retrospective cohort study of 2,377 patients (NYU Langone Health) with severe COVID-19. Also we conducted a retrospective study based on the mortality database of 247 patients from COVID-19 at the Chernivtsi Regional Clinical Hospital.

Results: Patients with elevated baseline D-dimer were more likely to have critical illness than patients with normal D-dimer (43.9% vs. 18.5%). The frequency of adverse events increased with increasing D-dimer levels. Individuals with D-dimer >2000 ng/mL had the highest risk of critical illness (66.0%).

Conclusions: Thus, the level of D-dimer can be considered an important prognostic factor in COVID-19, as its level is elevated in the vast majority of patients with COVID-19 and correlates with a severe course and high mortality.