Abstract
Introduction: Uncontrolled hyperglycemia is a risk factor for increased severity and mortality in COVID-19 patients. Our aim was to assess the factors interfering with glycemic control in patients hospitalised for COVID-19.
Methods: In this observational study, we enrolled consecutive patients hospitalised for COVID-19 between August and October 2020 in the Pulmonology Department of Victor Babes Hospital, Timisoara, Romania. We collected data concerning medical history, symptomatology, lab results, radiological findings, treatment and outcomes.
Results: We included 140 patients (60% males), age 60.8±13.4, hospitalisation period 12.8 ± 6.1 days, mean blood glucose level 211 ± 115.2 mg/dL. Majority of patients had an altered glycemic profile, with 113 patients (80.7%) having at least one recorded glycaemia level ≥ 110 mg/dL and 58 patients (41.4%) having recorded values ≥ 200 mg/dL. Maximum recorded level of glycaemia was significantly associated with prior history of diabetes (p<0.001), intake of dexamethasone (p<0.001) and antiretroviral therapy (p=0.007), but not obesity (p=0.249) or gender (p=0.362). In the multivariate analysis for the prediction of contributors to variability in maximum blood glucose values, only dexamethasone treatment and prior diagnosis of diabetes mellitus contributed to the model, which explained 25% of the variance of maximum glycaemia. We found no significant relation between maximum glucose level and extension of COVID-19 pulmonary lesions or oxygen saturation level at admission.
Conclusions: High prevalence of altered glycemic control in patients with COVID-19 may be related to prior diabetes history, systemic corticosteroid treatment and possibly the disease itself.
Footnotes
Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2021; 58: Suppl. 65, PA526.
This abstract was presented at the 2021 ERS International Congress, in session “Prediction of exacerbations in patients with COPD”.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2021