ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: There is published literature about COVID-19 disease associated coagulopathy in hospitalized patients. We aim to study association of early heparin use among adult patients with COVID-19 and sepsis and hospital outcomes. METHOD(S): Retrospective study utilizing the EMR (electronic medical record) data at a large tertiary care academic center with ICU patients admitted for COVID-19 and sepsis and received therapeutic heparin for anticoagulation. We reported nominal variables in (gender, exposure - yes/no, etc) as number and percentage. And reported continuous (age, length of stay, etc) as median (IQR). We used Chi Square test and t-test as appropriate for nominal and continuous data analysis. This study was IRB approved. RESULT(S): A total of 230 patients with age >=18 years were included in final analysis. Out of these, 183 (79.6%) patients received heparin within 48 hours of ICU admission and 47 (20.4%) after 48 hours. The median (IQR) age was 67.5 years (58-77) with majority being caucasian (73.9%) male (68%) patients. Overall, 59 (26%) patients had died, 86 (37%) had been discharged home without assistance, 12 (5%) discharged home, with home health from the hospitals. In univariable analysis, early (< 48 hours) administration of heparin was associated reduced utilization of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) (OR 0.23, p=< 0.01) and non-IMV (NIMV) (OR 0.49, p=0.03) and reduced ICU (MD -1.64, SE 0.58, p=< 0.01 and hospital length of stay (LOS) (MD-4.15, SE 0.93, p=< 0.01. This association remained significant when model was adjusted for age, gender, BMI, race, ethnicity, SOFA score on day 1, APACHE-III score on ICU admission: IMV utilization (aOR 0.12, p=< 0.01), NIMV utilization (aOR 0.47, p=0.35), ICU LOS (MD -1.65, SE 0.57, p=< 0.01) and hospital length of stay (MD -4.43, SE 0.95, p=< 0.01). The hospital mortality was observed to be not statistically significant (unadjusted OR 0.68, p=0.28 and adjusted OR 0.67, p=0.32) due to small sample size. CONCLUSION(S): Early administration of heparin in patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 sepsis was associated with reduced utilization of IMV and NIMV and reduced hospital LOS. Association with reduced hospital mortality did not reach the statistical significance.