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. 2022 Aug 8:15:4307-4320.
doi: 10.2147/IDR.S370907. eCollection 2022.

Laboratory Findings in Different Disease Status of COVID-19 Admitted Patients at Dilla University Referral Hospital Treatment Center, South Ethiopia

Gemechu Churiso  1 , Kuma Diriba  1 , Henok Girma  2 , Soressa Tafere  3
Affiliations

Laboratory Findings in Different Disease Status of COVID-19 Admitted Patients at Dilla University Referral Hospital Treatment Center, South Ethiopia

Gemechu Churiso et al. Infect Drug Resist. .

Abstract

Background: Millions were infected and many were dying because of the coronavirus disease 2019, since its emergence. The patients experience asymptomatic, mild, moderate, severe and critical disease with varying signs and symptoms. Decreased lymphocytes and abnormal liver and renal function tests are common among COVID-19 patients. Severe and critical cases show higher number of white blood cells, and neutrophils. However, studies showed different laboratory findings in different disease status. Therefore, this study investigated laboratory findings of COVID-19 admitted patients at Dilla University Referral Hospital treatment center, South Ethiopia.

Methods: A retrospective study design was conducted on 220 patients confirmed by real time polymerase chain reaction, and admitted to Dilla University Referral Hospital treatment center from September 2020 to July 2021. Data were collected from the patients' record, and analyzed by GraphPad Prism version 8.0.1.244 software. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the frequency while independent t-test was used to compare means of each parameter for each disease status.

Results: Of the 220 study cases, 120 (54.5%) were severe, 89 (40.5%) were moderate and 11 (5.0%) were mild. One hundred forty (71.1%) of the 197 laboratory tested cases, 87 (77.7%) of severe, and 49 (64.5%) of the moderate cases had neutrophils above normal range. However, 134 (68.0%) of them, 82 (73.2%) of severe and 49 (64.5%) of moderate cases showed decreased lymphocyte level. Most of the cases showed an increased level of aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, and total calcium. There was statistically significant mean neutrophils (p=0.04), number of white blood cells (p= 0.02), and creatinine level (p=0.00) difference between severe and mild cases.

Conclusion: Most of the severe COVID-19 patients showed increased neutrophils, liver function tests; and decreased lymphocytes; suggesting higher inflammation and lymphopenia. Therefore, patients with severe and critical disease status require close follow-up.

Keywords: COVID-19; disease status; laboratory findings.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest in relation to this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The mean number of Neutrophils and Lymphocytes of COVID-19 cases in severe, moderate and mild disease status. There was a significant mean number of Neutrophils differences between severe and mild cases (p=0.04).
Figure 2
Figure 2
The mean number of WBCs, RBCs and platelets of COVID-19 cases in severe, moderate and mild disease status. There were a significant mean number of WBCs differences between severe and mild cases (p=0.02), mean RBCs differences between severe and moderate cases (0.005), and mean platelets differences between severe and mild cases (p=0.03).
Figure 3
Figure 3
The mean level of AST, ALT, ALP, direct bilirubin and total bilirubin of COVID-19 cases in severe, moderate and mild disease status.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The mean level of Cr and BUN of COVID-19 cases in severe, moderate and mild disease status. There was a significant mean Cr concentration differences between severe and mild cases (p=0.00).
Figure 5
Figure 5
The mean level of Na, K, Cl and Ca of COVID-19 cases in severe, moderate and mild disease status. There was a significant mean Na concentration differences between severe and moderate cases (p=0.04).
Figure 6
Figure 6
The mean level of HDL, LDL, triglycerides and total cholesterol of COVID-19 cases in severe, moderate and mild disease status.
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