TY - JOUR

T1 - A Danish population-based case series of patients with liver cirrhosis and coronavirus disease 2019

AU - Attauabi, Mohamed

AU - Burisch, Johan

AU - Bendtsen, Flemming

AU - Kimer, Nina

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Objectives: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an ongoing major health emergency, but its occurrence and clinical impact on patients withliver cirrhosis is unknown. Therefore, we conducted a population-based study of 2.6 million Danish citizens investigating the occurrence and impact of COVID-19 in patients with liver cirrhosis. Materials and methods: A prospective population-based cohort study was conducted in the Capital Region of Denmark and Region Zealand in the study period between 1 March 2020 up until 31 May 2020, with the only eligibility criteria being a reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for presence of viral genomic material confirming COVID-19. The patients were subsequently stratified according to presence of pre-existing liver cirrhosis. Results: Among 575,935 individuals tested, 1713 patients had a diagnosis of cirrhosis. COVID-19 occurredsignificantly lessamongpatients with cirrhosis (n = 15; 0.9%, p <.01) compared with the population without cirrhosis (n = 10,593; 1.8%). However, a large proportion (n = 6;40.0%) required a COVID-19 related hospitalization which was correlated with higher values of alanine aminotransferase (p <.01) and lactate dehydrogenase (p =.04). In addition, one-in-three (n = 2; 13.3%) required intensive therapy. Four patients died (26.7%) and mortality was associated with higher MELD scores, co-existing type 2 diabetes, and bacterial superinfections. Conclusion: In conclusion, patientswith cirrhosis may have a lower risk of COVID-19; but a higher risk of complications hereto and mortality.

AB - Objectives: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an ongoing major health emergency, but its occurrence and clinical impact on patients withliver cirrhosis is unknown. Therefore, we conducted a population-based study of 2.6 million Danish citizens investigating the occurrence and impact of COVID-19 in patients with liver cirrhosis. Materials and methods: A prospective population-based cohort study was conducted in the Capital Region of Denmark and Region Zealand in the study period between 1 March 2020 up until 31 May 2020, with the only eligibility criteria being a reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for presence of viral genomic material confirming COVID-19. The patients were subsequently stratified according to presence of pre-existing liver cirrhosis. Results: Among 575,935 individuals tested, 1713 patients had a diagnosis of cirrhosis. COVID-19 occurredsignificantly lessamongpatients with cirrhosis (n = 15; 0.9%, p <.01) compared with the population without cirrhosis (n = 10,593; 1.8%). However, a large proportion (n = 6;40.0%) required a COVID-19 related hospitalization which was correlated with higher values of alanine aminotransferase (p <.01) and lactate dehydrogenase (p =.04). In addition, one-in-three (n = 2; 13.3%) required intensive therapy. Four patients died (26.7%) and mortality was associated with higher MELD scores, co-existing type 2 diabetes, and bacterial superinfections. Conclusion: In conclusion, patientswith cirrhosis may have a lower risk of COVID-19; but a higher risk of complications hereto and mortality.

KW - acute-on-chronic liver failure

KW - coronavirus disease 2019

KW - COVID-19

KW - disease course

KW - epidemiology

KW - infectious diseases

KW - liver cirrhosis

KW - mortality

KW - population-based

KW - superinfections

U2 - 10.1080/00365521.2021.1881814

DO - 10.1080/00365521.2021.1881814

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 33590789

AN - SCOPUS:85100940421

VL - 56

SP - 453

EP - 457

JO - Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology

JF - Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology

SN - 0036-5521

IS - 4

ER -