Echocardiographic findings and clinical features of COVID‑19 patients

Objective: To analyze the echocardiographic manifestations and clinical features of 98 patients with COVID‑19, and to explore whether there is potential myocardial injury in COVID‑19 patients. Methods: Patients diagnosed with COVID‑19 in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University were retrospectively investigated. Echocardiography was performed on all the patients. Diameters of chamber, thickness of ventricular wall were measured routinely to explore whether there were structural changes, while left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) were assessed for function evaluation. Signs of pericardial effusion and pulmonary hypertension were also focused on in our study. At the same time, clinical data related to the myocardial injury was collected, including Troponin I (cTnI), creatine kinase‑MB (CKMB), and N‑terminal pro‑brain natriuretic peptide (NT‑pro BNP). Patients were divided into the severe group and the non‑severe group, and the differences of ultrasound results and clinical data between the two groups were analyzed. Results: No typical echocardiographic signs of viral myocarditis were observed in our study, such as ventricular enlargement, thickening of the ventricular wall and cardiac dysfunction. Positive findings in echocardiography observed mainly included signs of pericardial effusion and pulmonary hypertension. By comparing the clinical data of the two groups, the age of the severe group was significantly older (median age 66.0 years [IQR: 56.0‑77.0] vs 59.0 years [IQR: 42.0‑69.0], P=0.02), and the levels of CRP, procalcitonin and D‑Dimer were significantly increased in the severe group. Conclusion: Although the echocardiography of patients with COVID‑19 had no typical manifestations, the level of myocardial markers was significantly increased in severe patients, suggesting the potential myocardial injury. © 2021, Editorial Board of Medical Journal of Wuhan University. All right reserved.