Reduced cardiac function identified in severe COVID-19 patients in new study elsevierconnect ucatolica SARSCoV2 SevereCOVID CardiacFunction
By Bhavana KunkalikarOct 17 2022Reviewed by Aimee Molineux In a recent study published in the Journal of Critical Care, researchers assessed the cardiac function in patients experiencing severe coronavirus disease 2019 .
About the study In the present study, researchers characterized cardiac function in critically ill patients diagnosed with severe COVID-19. The left ventricular ejection fraction , calculated using Simpson's modified formula, was used to evaluate the LV systolic function. The classification of patients into hyperkinetic having LVEF >60%, normokinetic with LVEF between 45% and 60%, and hypokinetic with LVEF less than 45%. The LV outflow tract was used to determine cardiac output . The LVOT area and velocity time integral were multiplied to determine the stroke volume .
Cardiac output was 5.1 L/min, while 86% of the patients needed norepinephrine at a median dose of 0.05 g/kg/min to sustain their mean arterial pressure above 65 mmHg. Most patients had normal perfusion parameters, including 1.7 mmol/L lactate levels and a Pv-aCO2 gradient of 6. According to the parameters employed, 36 patients were fluid-responsive, and seven patients showed signs of elevated LV filling pressure.