IN-HOSPITAL CASE FATALITY RATE DUE TO MODERATE-TO-SEVERE COVID-19 IN PATIENTS WITH CIRRHOSIS: A MULTICENTER COHORT STUDY

ABSTRACT

Background: The presence of comorbidities has been associated with worse outcomes in patients with SARS-CoV2 virus infection. It has been reported that patients with cirrhosis and COVID-19 showed higher mortality rates than patients without cirrhosis. This study aims to analyze the case fatality rate (CFR) in patients with cirrhosis and COVID-19, as well as the implications that this infection has on the incidence of acute decompensations. Methods: A multicenter prospective cohort study was conducted in 13 COVID-19 centers in Mexico. Patients with cirrhosis and COVID-19 were compared with randomly selected age- and sex-matched controls with COVID-19 without cirrhosis. The characteristics and development of decompensation in patients with cirrhosis were analyzed. Results: A total of 96 patients with cirrhosis and COVID-19 and 193 controls with COVID-19 were studied. Age (56.80 vs. 56.45 years, respectively;P=0.80) and male sex proportion (65.6% vs. 65.6%, respectively;P=0.98) was comparable between the two groups. Patients with cirrhosis and COVID-19 had a higher CFR than patients without cirrhosis (29.2% versus 19.2%, respectively, P=0.05) (Figure 1). There were no differences in the use of invasive mechanical ventilation, vasopressors, or the hospitalization length. The most common decompensations were worsening ascites (43%), encephalopathy (42%), and variceal bleeding (13%). Acute kidney injury occurred in 60% of patients with cirrhosis and 30% fulfill criteria of hepatorenal syndrome. Conclusion: Cirrhosis may impose a significant death risk factor in moderateto- severe COVID-19. Moreover, COVID-19 might be an important trigger of acute decompensation of cirrhosis, which could influence short-term CFR. (Figure Presented)