The Spectrum of Biochemical and Haematological Alterations in COVID-19 Patients Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital in Karnataka, India

Nagalakshmi CS¹, Shaheen Shaikh² , Rajeev Gandham³and Santhosh NU⁴

¹Department of Biochemistry, Chikkaballapura Institute of Medical Sciences, Chikkaballapura, Karnataka, India.

²Department of Biochemistry, Yenapoya Medical College, Deralakatte, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.

³Department of Biochemistry, NRI Institute of Medical Sciences, Visakhapatnam, India.

⁴Consultant Neurosurgeon (Endovascular Neurosurgeon), Aster CMI Hospital, Hebbal, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.

Corresponding Author E-mail: drshaheenshaikh@yenepoya.edu.in

ABSTRACT: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus -2 (SARS-CoV-2), primarily acts on lungs. Most of these patients present with typical respiratory symptoms and signs. SARS-CoV-2, mainly detected by nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swab(s) of suspected subjects. The present study aimed at evaluating and discussing the alterations in biochemical and hematological parameters in COVID-19 patients in a tertiary care hospital. This observational study was conducted in a Tertiary care hospital, Coastal Karnataka, India. In this study, 124 COVID-19 patients were involved. Co-morbidities, such as hypertension was observed in 98 (79%), diabetes in 91 (73.3%), cardiovascular disease in 20 (16.1%), chronic kidney disease in 4 (3.2%) and liver disease in 2 (1.6%) cases. Hypertension and diabetes were more common. Symptoms such as fever was found in 109 cases (87.9%), dry cough in 102 (82.2%), fatigue in 89 (71.7%), chest tightness in 79 (63.7%), myalgia in 67 (54%) and mild shortness of breath in 46 (37%) cases. In this study, hemoglobin (9.4±1.7 %) and platelets (240.1±89.7) were decreased and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (50.7±15.7) significantly increased in severe cases. Mean values of random blood sugar (RBS) was 245.6 ± 126.9 mg/dl, HbA1c 7.9±2.8%, serum urea 82.8±25.2 mg/dl, Creatinine 3.2±1.5 mg/dl, Uric acid 6.8±1.5 mg/dl), Total Bilirubin 1.2±0.6 mg/dl, Alkaline Phosphatase 135.4±38.9 IU/L, C-Reactive protein (CRP) 84.8±7.7 mg/L, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) 644.6±175.1 U/L, Ferritin 828.3±195.4 µg/L, D-Dimer [2680.9 (1899.0-5475.7 ng/ml)] were elevated in severe cases than mild group. In contrast, serum total proteins (6.3±0.7g%) and globulin (2.8±0.5 g%) levels were significantly decreased in severe cases than mild/moderate cases. Study may conclude that presence of co-morbidities, abnormalities in biochemical and hematological parameters, should be regularly monitored, especially in severe / critical COVID-19 patients.

KEYWORDS: biochemical; Covid-19; D-dimer; Ferritin; hematological parameters; Liver function tests; renal function tests

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