Abstract
Objectives: To alleviate the overflow of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in hospitals, less invasive and simple criteria are required to triage the patients. We evaluated the relationship between COVID-19 severity and fatty liver on plain computed tomography (CT) scan performed on admission.
Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we considered all COVID-19 patients at a large tertiary care hospital between January 31 and August 31, 2020. COVID-19 severity was categorized into severe (moderate and severe) and non-severe (asymptomatic and mild) groups, based on the Japanese National COVID-19 guidelines. Fatty liver was detected on plain CT scan. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate factors associated with severe COVID-19.
Results: Of 222 patients (median age: 52 years), 3.2%, 58.1%, 20.7%, and 18.0% presented with asymptomatic, mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19, respectively. Although 59.9% had no fatty liver on plain CT, mild, moderate, and severe fatty liver occurred in 13.1%, 18.9%, and 8.1%, respectively. Age and presence of fatty liver were significantly associated with severe COVID-19.
Conclusion: Our study showed that fatty liver on plain CT scan on admission can become a risk factor for severe COVID-19. This finding may help clinicians to easily triage COVID-19 patients.
Keywords: COVID-19; Outcome; Pneumonia; Triage.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, Pneumonia, Triage, outcome, 【초록키워드】 coronavirus disease, Coronavirus disease 2019, severe COVID-19, hospital, Triage, COVID-19 severity, risk factor, hospitals, Computed tomography, Asymptomatic, CT scan, Patient, Mild, Fatty liver, Japanese, Admission, Care, liver, moderate, patients, COVID-19 patients, COVID-19 patient, criteria, retrospective cohort study, Factor, Logistic regression analysis, clinician, median age, help, multivariate, multivariate logistic regression analysis, COVID-19 guidelines, invasive, overflow, performed, evaluate, occurred, significantly, evaluated, required, was performed, median, less, had no, groups, alleviate, 【제목키워드】 Admission, liver, severe coronavirus disease,