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Impact of Hepatic Dysfunction on Mortality among Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients: An Inhospital Observational Study

Shiran Shetty1, Anila Vasireddy1, Roshini Raghu1

  • 1Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India.

Annals of African Medicine
|April 25, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Gastrointestinal issues were common in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, but hepatic dysfunction was more frequent and linked to severe disease and mortality. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring liver function in coronavirus disease 2019 patients.

Area of Science:

  • Internal Medicine
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses significant risks, with gastrointestinal (GI) and hepatic complications often indicating a poor prognosis.
  • Understanding the frequency and impact of these manifestations is crucial for managing hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the incidence of GI symptoms and hepatic dysfunction in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
  • To evaluate the association between GI and hepatic issues and disease severity and mortality.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary teaching hospital in South India.
  • Inclusion of 1006 hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
  • Collection of clinical data on GI symptoms, hepatic dysfunction, comorbidities, disease severity, and outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Overall mortality rate was 14.5%, with 23.3% experiencing severe COVID-19.
  • GI manifestations occurred in 17.7% of patients (vomiting and abdominal pain most common).
  • Hepatic dysfunction was observed in 46.5% of patients and correlated with increased severity and mortality; GI manifestations did not.

Conclusions:

  • Hepatic dysfunction is a frequent complication in COVID-19 patients, associated with worse clinical outcomes.
  • While GI manifestations are common, they were not found to be associated with disease severity or mortality in this cohort.
  • Monitoring hepatic function is important for risk stratification and management of hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
Abstract

Keywords:
Coronavirus disease 2019Gravitégastrointestinal manifestationsmaladie à coronavirus 2019manifestations gastro-intestinalesmortalitymortalitéseverity

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