The following is a summary of “Impact of Pulmonary Hypertension on Covid-19 Pneumonia Hospitalizations: Analysis of The National Inpatient Sample 2020,” published in the November 2023 issue of Cardiology by Kodali et al.
The COVID-19 pandemic, fueled by SARS-CoV-2, triggered a surge in COVID-19 pneumonia (CP) cases with complications like ARDS and Pulmonary hypertension (PHT), highlighting the need for a better understanding of their complex interplay.
Researchers performed a retrospective study of a vast dataset to gauge the influence of pre-existing PHT on hospitalization outcomes for CP patients.
They employed the 2020 National Inpatient Sample, identifying 1,058,815 adults hospitalized with CP. Stratifying based on PHT presence, a multivariate regression model (to adjust for confounders and analyze variables) was applied to these hospitalizations.
The results showed that 2.3% (24,284) of CP admissions had PHT. In-hospital mortality was elevated in PHT cases (19.6% vs. 10.9%; P<0.001). The Forrest plot displays the multivariate analysis of in-hospital outcomes, adjusting for patient demographics, comorbidities, and hospital characteristics. Adjusted similarly, CP patients with PHT experienced a 1.3-day longer length of stay (LOS) (P<0.001) and incurred additional hospital costs (HC) of $23,232 (P<0.001).
Investigators concluded that pre-existing PHT in COVID-19 patients slammed mortality, complications, and needs, exposing vulnerability to ARDS’s vicious squeeze.
Source: ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circ.148.suppl_1.19002
