ABSTRACT
Introduction: Since the novel corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic, the impact globally has been unparalleled. The World Health Organization (WHO) has notified about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as pandemic and have been identified as the causative agent for pneumonia and ARDS shortly thereafter. As the severity of COVID-19 progresses, many patients require intensive care unit (ICU) admission requiring frequent arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis which led to discovery of unusual acid base abnormalities in the patients. Arterial blood gas analysis is an important routine investigation to monitor the acid base balance of the patients, effectiveness of gas Exchange. Disorders of acid base balance can complicate many diseases and occasionally the abnormality may be so severe that it can be life threatening. The present study was carried out to assess acid-base patterns in COVID-19 ICU patients and to find their outcomes. Objective: To find out profile and pattern of Arterial Blood Gas anomalies (ABG) in intensive care (COVID-19) patients. Materials and methods: A single-center retrospective, observational study in a dedicated COVID-19 intensive care unit from the period of 8 months. A total of 32 Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT PCR) positive cases;that needed ICU admission were included in this study done at Malla Reddy Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, India. Data of Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) performed on day of admission was noted and they were followed up until they remained in ICU. Results: The age group affected with COVID-19 in this study was 26-75 years. Out of the patients admitted 21 were male (M) and 11 were female (F). Average duration of hospital stay for patients included in study was 22.31 + 9.68. Out of 32 patients, there were 81.25% (n=26) survivors and (n=6) (18.75%) were non-survivors. In this study population majority of patients had (n=7) (21.88%) metabolic alkalosis, while 5 patients (15.63%) had Normal ABG. Metabolic acidosis was seen in 4 patients (12.50%), and respiratory acidosis was seen in 4 patients (12.50%) each. Conclusion: Majority of patients admitted with COVID-19 experienced pH changes with a wide range of acid--base abnormalities, with metabolic alkalosis being the most prevalent. The observed occurrence of metabolic alkalosis on admission in a large number of COVID-19 patients is an undocumented finding that necessitates a multicenter investigation to uncover the disease's pathogenesis, including the importance of other acid-base imbalances that have been discovered in the present study. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Archives of Integrated Medicine is the property of International Archives of Integrated Medicine and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)