Abstract
Background: Increasing awareness about COVID-19 related coagulopathy has risen concern on possible long-term persistence of functional abnormalities due to vascular damage.
Aims and objectives: To assess if elevated D-dimer values in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 pneumonia could be related to an impaired pulmonary function at follow up.
Methods: This was a prospective, observational study on consecutive adult patients hospitalized for COVID-19 pneumonia in April and May 2020 in the Respiratory Unit of L. Sacco Hospital, Milan (Italy). Biochemistry and blood gas analysis (BGA) were collected at admission. Spirometry and lung diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) with alveolar volume (VA) were performed after reaching clinical stability and at 6 weeks after discharge.
Results: 20 patients (mean age 58.2 years, 70% males) completed the study. During hospitalization, mean %predicted DLCO and VA were 56.0 (16.3) and 64.8 (14.0), respectively; median (IQR) D-dimer at admission was 768 (374-3966) mg/L FEU. At follow up, 13 (65%) patients had a DLCO<80%predicted (mean [SD] DLCO: 67.2 [18] %predicted), with a higher median D-dimer at admission compared with patients with preserved DLCO (3375 vs 394 mg/L FEU; p=0.008). D-dimer levels were correlated with DLCO and VA, both during hospitalization (R2=0.731 and R2=0.347, both p<0.01) and at follow up (R2=0.558 and R2=0.385, both p<0.01). Impaired DLCO at follow up was independently predicted by Log10D-dimer at admission (β -18.675, 95%CI: -28.373;-9.076; p=0.001).
Conclusions: D-dimer could be a robust predictor of a persistently reduced DLCO in patients that survived COVID-19 pneumonia.
Footnotes
Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2021; 58: Suppl. 65, PA727.
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