tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Saudi J Gastroenterol
. 2022 Jan 14.
doi: 10.4103/sjg.sjg_547_21. Online ahead of print.
Gastrointestinal manifestations of COVID-19 in a single center in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia
Reem J Al Argan[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mona H Ismail[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Dania M Alkhafaji[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Raed M Alsulaiman[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Fatimah E Ismaeel[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Reem S AlSulaiman[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ali N Almajid[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Lameyaa Alsheekh[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Tariq S Alsaif[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Alaa A Alzaki[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Safi G Alqatari[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Abrar J Alwaheed[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Abir H Al Said[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Marwan J Al Wazzeh[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Abdulaziz A AlQurain[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Several gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms have been associated with novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Their prevalence and relation to the severity and hospital outcome of COVID-19 have not been well reported in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia. We aimed to examine the GI manifestations of COVID-19 and their association with the severity and hospital outcome of COVID-19 infection.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study of hospitalized COVID-19 patients who had a positive SARS-COV2 PCR test and were admitted at a university hospital in Saudi Arabia, from March to September 2020. The primary objective of the study was to describe the GI manifestations of COVID-19. The secondary objective was to investigate the association of GI manifestations with severity and outcome of COVID-19 infection.
Results: We included 390 patients, of which 111 (28.5%) presented with GI manifestations. The most common presentation was diarrhea followed by nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Patients without GI manifestations had a higher risk of severe-critical COVID-19 infection evident by the development of lung infiltration in more than 50% of lung fields within 24-48 h, acute respiratory distress syndrome, altered mental status, multiorgan failure, and cytokine storm syndrome (P < 0.05). These patients had a higher mortality rate compared to patients with GI manifestations (P = 0.01). A lower odds of death was seen among patients with GI symptoms (AOR 0.36; 95% CI, 0.158-0.82; P = 0.01).
Conclusion: COVID-19 infection presents commonly with GI manifestations. Patients with GI manifestations have less severe COVID-19 disease and lower mortality rates.
Keywords: COVID-19 infection; gastrointestinal manifestations; mortality; outcome; severity.
. 2022 Jan 14.
doi: 10.4103/sjg.sjg_547_21. Online ahead of print.
Gastrointestinal manifestations of COVID-19 in a single center in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia
Reem J Al Argan[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mona H Ismail[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Dania M Alkhafaji[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Raed M Alsulaiman[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Fatimah E Ismaeel[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Reem S AlSulaiman[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ali N Almajid[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Lameyaa Alsheekh[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Tariq S Alsaif[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Alaa A Alzaki[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Safi G Alqatari[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Abrar J Alwaheed[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Abir H Al Said[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Marwan J Al Wazzeh[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Abdulaziz A AlQurain[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 35042321
- DOI: 10.4103/sjg.sjg_547_21
Abstract
Background: Several gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms have been associated with novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Their prevalence and relation to the severity and hospital outcome of COVID-19 have not been well reported in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia. We aimed to examine the GI manifestations of COVID-19 and their association with the severity and hospital outcome of COVID-19 infection.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study of hospitalized COVID-19 patients who had a positive SARS-COV2 PCR test and were admitted at a university hospital in Saudi Arabia, from March to September 2020. The primary objective of the study was to describe the GI manifestations of COVID-19. The secondary objective was to investigate the association of GI manifestations with severity and outcome of COVID-19 infection.
Results: We included 390 patients, of which 111 (28.5%) presented with GI manifestations. The most common presentation was diarrhea followed by nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Patients without GI manifestations had a higher risk of severe-critical COVID-19 infection evident by the development of lung infiltration in more than 50% of lung fields within 24-48 h, acute respiratory distress syndrome, altered mental status, multiorgan failure, and cytokine storm syndrome (P < 0.05). These patients had a higher mortality rate compared to patients with GI manifestations (P = 0.01). A lower odds of death was seen among patients with GI symptoms (AOR 0.36; 95% CI, 0.158-0.82; P = 0.01).
Conclusion: COVID-19 infection presents commonly with GI manifestations. Patients with GI manifestations have less severe COVID-19 disease and lower mortality rates.
Keywords: COVID-19 infection; gastrointestinal manifestations; mortality; outcome; severity.