CLINICAL AND LABORATORY FEATURES OF PULMONARY EMBOLISM IN PATIENTS WITH CORONAVIRUS INFECTION SARS-COV-2 AND ABDOMINAL OBESITY

Abstract

Background. At the present time more than 185 million people are infected with the new coronavirus infection (CVI) SARS-CoV-2, which caused COVID-19 pandemic according to WHO. The issue of increased risk of pulmonary embolism (PE) and associated severe course of the disease in persons with abdominal obesity (AO) is actively discussed in national and foreign publications. Objective of the study. To determine the clinical and laboratory features of PE in patients with abdominal obesity infected with SARS-CoV-2 Material and Methods. An analysis of 11.056 medical records of inpatients treated in the infectious disease departments for patients with COVID-19 of the 4th City Clinical Hospital named after N.E. Savchenko of Minsk during the period from April 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 was performed. AO in subjects included in the retrospective analysis was determined according to WHO criteria as a body mass index greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2, waist circumference greater than 94 cm in men and 80 cm in women, respectively. To determine clinical and laboratory features of PE, as well as the effect of AO on the severity of this complication, inclusion/exclusion/exclusion criteria were developed and a sample of medical records of patients with COVID-19 (n=33), whose diagnosis of PE was verified by computed tomographic angiography of the chest (CTA chest) was formed. Clinical and instrumental parameters and laboratory characteristics were analyzed in the studied groups at the moment of admission to the hospital and at the time of PE development. Results. According to the results of a retrospective analysis of 11 056 medical records, the proportion of patients in whom the final diagnosis of PE was present was 3.68% (n=407), among whom AO was observed in 22.11% (n=90) of patients. The prevalence of subjects with impaired lipid metabolism among those included in the analysis was 11.38% (n=1259). PE developed in 90 patients with CVI and AO (0.81%) and in 317 patients without AO (2.87%). The prevalence of patients with PE (n=90) in the CVI and AO group (n=1259) was 7.15%; among those with CVI without AO (n=9797) - 3.24% (n=317). In the formed group with AO, C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen levels at hospitalization were higher than in the group of patients without AO: 116.64 (80.38-134.08) mg/L versus 30.21 (15.11-57.21) mg/L (U=36.04; p<0.01) and 6.97 (6.11 to 8.03) g/L versus 4.71 (4.02 to 5.59) g/L (U=12.0, p<0.01) respectively. On the day of suspected PE, CRP levels were higher in the group of patients with AO and COVID-19 than in the group of patients without AO: 71.01 (50.59-105.06) mg/L versus 34.01 (18.85-60.81) mg/L (U=49.00; p<0.05). In patients with CVI and PE, there was a moderate positive relationship between the presence of AO and the severe course of COVID-19 (r=0.41; p<0.05), AO and elevated fibrinogen levels on admission to the hospital (r=0.58 p <0.05), a strong positive relationship between the presence of AO and increased serum CRP level at the time of hospitalization (r = 0.76; p < 0.01), a moderate positive relationship between AO and CRP level determined at the time of development of PE (r = 0.51; p < 0.01). Conclusion. Among the patients with COVID-19 and AO complicated by the development of PE in comparison with patients without AR was determined a higher prevalence of individuals with a severe course of CVI (χ2=5,18; p<0.05), lower oxygen saturation values at admission and at the time of PE development (U =46.5; p<0.05) and (U=49.5; p<0.05), respectively, higher fibrinogen and CRP levels at the time of hospitalization (U=12.0; p<0.01) and (U=36.04; p<0.01), respectively, higher CRP values at the manifestation of PE (U=49.00; p<0.05). The obtained data indicates in favor of the fact that AO can be considered as a risk factor for the severe course of COVID-19. The pathophysiological basis of the development, course and prognosis of thromboembolic complications in patients with COVID-19 and AO requires further clarification during prospective follow-up of this category of patients.