Your browser doesn't support javascript.
COVID-19 and the gastrointestinal tract: what do we already know?
Almeida, Joana Ferro Machado de; Chehter, Ethel Zimberg.
  • Almeida JFM; Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Santo André, SP, Brazil.
  • Chehter EZ; Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Santo André, SP, Brazil.
Einstein (Sao Paulo) ; 18: eRW5909, 2020.
Article in English, Portuguese | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-995144
ABSTRACT
The new coronavirus disease pandemic is defining 2020, with almost 17.5 million infected individuals and 700 thousand deaths up to beginning of August. It is caused by SARS-CoV-2 and the transmission is through the respiratory tract. Those infected may be asymptomatic, present typical symptoms (fever, dry cough and dyspnea), gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain) and viral RNA in stools. The objective of this work was to review the literature related to the prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms, and to check the possibility of fecal-oral transmission. We searched PubMed® database on COVID-19 and gastrointestinal tract and selected articles using the PRISMA method. We eliminated articles based on titles and abstracts, small number of patients and the mechanism of infection, leaving 14 studies. Comorbidities and laboratory alterations (elevation of hepatic aminotransferases and bilirubin) were related to worsening of the disease. The prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms ranged from 6.8% to 61.3%, including diarrhea (8.14% to 33.7%), nausea/vomiting (1.53% to 26.4%), anorexia (12.1% to 40.0%) and abdominal pain (0% to 14.5%). The presence of viral RNA in stools was rarely tested, but positive in 0% to 48.1%. The gastrointestinal tract is affected by COVID-19, causing specific symptoms, laboratory alterations and viral presence in the feces. However, the results of prevalence and possibility of fecal-oral transmission were varied, requiring further studies for more assertive conclusions. It is important that healthcare professionals draw attention to this fact, since these changes can help make diagnosis and initiate early treatment.
Subject(s)

Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Pneumonia, Viral / Coronavirus Infections / Gastrointestinal Tract Type of study: Observational study / Reviews Limits: Humans Language: English / Portuguese Journal: Einstein (Sao Paulo) Year: 2020 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Einstein_journal

Similar

MEDLINE

...
LILACS

LIS


Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Pneumonia, Viral / Coronavirus Infections / Gastrointestinal Tract Type of study: Observational study / Reviews Limits: Humans Language: English / Portuguese Journal: Einstein (Sao Paulo) Year: 2020 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Einstein_journal