The following is a summary of “BURDEN OF INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE ON COVID-19 HOSPITALIZATIONS: A NATIONWIDE ANALYSIS,” published in the February 2024 issue of Gastroenterology by Iqbal et al.

Despite both Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), encompassing Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), and COVID-19 causing inflammation, studies are ongoing to understand how these conditions might interact, with some studies suggesting patients with IBD could experience worse COVID-19.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to investigate whether a history of IBD is associated with more severe outcomes in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

They identified patients diagnosed with COVID-19 using the 2020 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS). Patients were categorized by the presence of IBD. Data on shock, sepsis, AKI, blood transfusion, ventilation, mortality, age, gender, race, insurance, income, region, bed size, and comorbidities were gathered. The relationship between outcomes in patients with COVID-19 and IBD was analyzed through regression analysis.

The results showed 1,526,805 patients diagnosed with COVID-19, with 91,608 (6.0%) having concurrent CD or UC. In the IBD group, most patients were female (52.2%), White (73.4%), and had Medicare insurance (54.6%). A history of IBD correlated with increased risks of sepsis (aOR 1.15, P=0.01), shock (aOR 1.26, P=0.007), and AKI (aOR 1.25, P<0.001). No disparities were observed in mechanical ventilation or in-hospital mortality between patients with and without IBD.

Investigators concluded that a history of IBD increased the risk of sepsis, shock, and AKI in patients hospitalized with COVID-19, warranting close monitoring for these complications.

Source: academic.oup.com/ibdjournal/article/30/Supplement_1/S10/7589344