Pseudomembranous colitis as a complication in Covid-19.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Infectious Diseases
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in various complications.
• Pseudomembranous colitis (PMC) is a severe gastrointestinal condition.
• Understanding PMC in COVID-19 patients is crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the incidence and outcomes of pseudomembranous colitis in COVID-19 patients.
• To evaluate diagnostic methods and treatment strategies for PMC in this population.
• To identify factors influencing mortality in COVID-19 patients with PMC.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 96 patients with PMC treated between 2020-2022.
• Diagnosis confirmed via clinical data, imaging (ultrasound, CT), and endoscopy.
• Surgical interventions included colon resection, colostomy, ileostomy, and lavage.

Main Results:

• PMC occurred in 1.17% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, with incidence rising from 0.62% in 2020 to 2.28% in 2021.
• Surgical indications included perforation (9.4%), peritonitis (85.5%), and mesenteric thrombosis (4.1%).
• Conservative treatment succeeded in 88.8% of cases; overall mortality was 11.36%, rising to 22.4% with surgical complications.

Conclusions:

• The incidence of PMC in COVID-19 patients increased significantly in 2021.
• CT demonstrated moderate sensitivity (72%) and low specificity (58%) for diagnosing surgical PMC complications.
• While conservative management is often effective, surgical interventions are associated with higher mortality rates.