ABSTRACT
Background and aim: Abnormal liver function tests (LFTs) and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms have been reported up to 50% in patients with COVID-19, and in 5% they can precede respiratory symptoms. The objective of this work is to describe the LFTs and GI symptoms of patients with COVID-19 and their association with admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and mortality. Material and Methods. We conducted a retrospective, cross sectional, descriptive study, using files from patients with a positive Gen Finder COVID-19 test, admitted to Medica Sur Clinic and Foundation between March 13th through May 14th, 2020. We performed descriptive analysis of data and its association with clinical outcomes. Results: A total of 108 patients with COVID-19 were identified;68.5% (n = 74) were men, the mean age was 53 ± 14 years and the body mass index was 28.6 ± 5.8 kg/m2. The most frequent comorbidity was hypertension with 24% (n = 26). The presence of comorbidities was associated with risk of ICU admission (OR 3.9 [95% CI 1.6-9.9], p = 0.002). The most frequent symptoms were cough (72.2%, n = 78), fever (69.4%, n = 75) and dyspnea (48.1%, n = 52). At least one abnormal LFT was present in 94% (n = 103) of patients at admission, the most frequent was LDH (88.9%, n = 96), AST and GGT (63%, n = 65), which are summarized in Table 1. Patients presented abnormal LFTs and respiratory symptoms in 48.1% (n = 52), while 16.6% (n = 18) presented abnormal LFTs without respiratory symptoms. Among GI symptoms, 37% (n = 4) reported at least one, including diarrhea (28.7%, n = 31), hyporexia (9.3%, n = 10), nausea (8.3%, n = 9) or vomiting (4.6%, n = 5). Of patients admitted to the ICU (n = 39), 27.5% (n = 10) presented at least one GI symptom. Mortality was 7.4% (n = 8). No associations were found between abnormal LFTs, GI symptoms, and outcomes of mortality and ICU admission. Conclusions: In patients with COVID 19, the presence of metabolic comorbidities confers a higher risk of ICU admission, in contrast to abnormal LFTs and GI symptoms that were not associated with clinical outcomes. Conflicts of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.