Clinical and echocardiographic findings in patients with COVID-19 across different severity levels

Cardiovascular pathology can complicate the course of COVID-19. The study aimed to identify echocardiographic abnormalities and key prognostic factors influencing severe and fatal COVID-19 outcomes. This retrospective cohort study included clinical and echocardiogram data from 194 medical records of hospitalized patients with COVID-19: 100 moderate cases, 34 severe cases with favorable outcomes, and 60 severe cases with fatal outcomes. Severe patients with favorable outcomes had greater reductions in left ventricular systolic fraction of left ventricle compared to moderate cases (23.5% vs. 7.0%, respectively, p=0.008) and ejection fraction of left ventricle (14.7% vs. 3.0%, respectively, p=0.013), grade I diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle (20.6% vs. 8.0%, respectively, p=0.044), and pulmonary hypertension (29.41% vs. 10.0%, respectively, p=0.006). Patients with fatal outcomes had a mean age of 67.1±1.51 years, chronic heart failure functional class II (58.3%), hypertension (50.0%), type 2 diabetes (43.3%), and obesity (33.3%). Compared to severe cases but with favorable outcomes, fatal cases had a greater decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction (36.7% vs. 14.7%, respectively, p=0.024), various types of myocardial dysfunction (51.7% vs. 29.4%, respectively, p=0.037) and a trend towards increased pulmonary hypertension (48.3% vs. 29.4%, respectively, p=0.074). Consequently, chronic heart failure class II, reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, various myocardial dysfunctions, and pulmonary hypertension emerged as key cardiac risk factors for severe disease progression and mortality in patients with COVID-19.