ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The Corona Virus 19 (COVID-19) infection is associated with worse outcomes in blacks, although the mechanisms are unclear. We sought to determine the significance of black race, pre-existing cardiovascular disease (pCVD), and acute kidney injury (AKI) on cardiopulmonary outcomes and in-hospital mortality of COVID-19 patients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of blacks with/without pCVD and with/without in-hospital AKI, hospitalized within Grady Memorial Hospital in Georgia between February and July 2020, who tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on qualitative polymerase-chain-reaction assay. The primary outcome was a composite of in-hospital cardiac events. RESULTS: Of the 293 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in this study, 71 were excluded from the primary analysis (for race/ethnicity other than black non-Hispanic). Of the 222 hospitalized COVID-19 patients included in our analyses, 41.4% were female, 78.8% had pCVD, and 30.6% developed AKI during the admission. In multivariable analyses, pCVD (OR 4.7, 95% CI 1.5-14.8, P=0.008) and AKI (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.3-5.5, P=0.006) were associated with increased odds of in-hospital cardiac events. AKI was associated with increased odds of in-hospital mortality (OR 8.9, 95% CI 3.3-23.9, P<0.0001). The presence of AKI was associated with increased odds of ICU stay, mechanical ventilation, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). CONCLUSION: pCVD and AKI were associated with higher risk of in-hospital cardiac events, and AKI was associated with a higher risk of in-hospital mortality in blacks.