Older age, neutrophilia, and elevated lactate dehydrogenase and D-dimer levels increase the risks of developing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and death from COVID-19. Up to 22% of ICU patients experience cardiac injury evidenced by increased troponin levels, and up to 12% of patients without known cardiovascular disease experience elevated troponin levels or cardiac arrest. COVID-19 is diagnosed using a real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction assay on respiratory and serum samples, though upper respiratory tract specimens may contain a lower viral load than lower respiratory tract specimens, so retesting using lower respiratory tract specimens is recommended if upper tests are negative but clinical suspicion remains. Common laboratory findings in COVID-19 patients include
Older age, neutrophilia, and elevated lactate dehydrogenase and D-dimer levels increase the risks of developing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and death from COVID-19. Up to 22% of ICU patients experience cardiac injury evidenced by increased troponin levels, and up to 12% of patients without known cardiovascular disease experience elevated troponin levels or cardiac arrest. COVID-19 is diagnosed using a real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction assay on respiratory and serum samples, though upper respiratory tract specimens may contain a lower viral load than lower respiratory tract specimens, so retesting using lower respiratory tract specimens is recommended if upper tests are negative but clinical suspicion remains. Common laboratory findings in COVID-19 patients include
Older age, neutrophilia, and elevated lactate dehydrogenase and D-dimer levels increase the risks of developing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and death from COVID-19. Up to 22% of ICU patients experience cardiac injury evidenced by increased troponin levels, and up to 12% of patients without known cardiovascular disease experience elevated troponin levels or cardiac arrest. COVID-19 is diagnosed using a real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction assay on respiratory and serum samples, though upper respiratory tract specimens may contain a lower viral load than lower respiratory tract specimens, so retesting using lower respiratory tract specimens is recommended if upper tests are negative but clinical suspicion remains. Common laboratory findings in COVID-19 patients include
older age, neutrophilia, and elevated lactate dehydrogenase and D-dimer levels increased the risks of ARDS and death
Cardiac concerns
The risk of cardiac injury, evidenced by increased troponin levels, was up
to 22% in ICU patients. Interestingly, up to 12% of patients without known cardiovascular disease had elevated troponin levels or experienced cardiac arrest during hospitalization for COVID-19. The pathophysiology of injury is under investigation, but some presentations seem related to cytokine storm.
Diagnostics
The test is a real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction
(rRT-PCR) assay that can be used to diagnose the virus in respiratory and serum samples from clinical specimens
Upper respiratory tract specimens have been reported to contain a smaller
viral load than lower respiratory tract specimens do. If PCR tests are negative for SARS-CoV-2 using upper respiratory tract specimens despite persistent clinical suspicion, the WHO recommends retesting using lower respiratory tract specimens
Laboratory findings in patients with COVID-19
Leukopenia, leukocytosis, and lymphopenia were common among early cases. [32, 72] Lactate dehydrogenase and ferritin levels are commonly elevated