Myocardial injury is associated with in-hospital mortality of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: A single center retrospective cohort study

Since December 2019, a cluster of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) occurred in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China and spread rapidly from China to other countries. In-hospital mortality are high in severe cases and cardiac injury characterized by elevated cardiac troponin are common among them. The mechanism of cardiac injury and the relationship between cardiac injury and in-hospital mortality remained unclear. Studies focused on cardiac injury in COVID-19 patients are scarce. [Objectives] To investigate the association between cardiac injury and in-hospital mortality of patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. [Methods] Demographic, clinical, treatment, and laboratory data of consecutive confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients admitted in Wuhan No.1 Hospital from 25th December, 2019 to 15th February, 2020 were extracted from electronic medical records and were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used to explore the risk factors associated with in-hospital death. [Results] A total of 110 patients with confirmed (n=80) or suspected (n=30) COVID-19 were screened and 48 patients (female 31.3%, mean age 70.58±13.38 year old) among them with high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) test within 48 hours after admission were included, of whom 17 (17/48, 35.4%) died in hospital while 31 (31/48, 64.6%) were discharged or transferred to other hospital. High-sensitivity cardiac troponin I was levated in 13 (13/48, 27.1%) patents. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed pulse oximetry of oxygen saturation (SpO2) on admission (HR 0.704, 95% CI 0.546-0.909, per 1% decrease, p=0.007), elevated hs-cTnI (HR 10.902, 95% 1.279-92.927, p=0.029) and elevated d-dimer (HR 1.103, 95%CI 1.034-1.176, per 1mg/L increase, p=0.003) on admission were independently associated with in-hospital mortality. [Conclusions] Cardiac injury defined by hs-cTnI elevation and elevated d-dimer on admission were risk factors for in-hospital death, while higher SpO2 could be seen as a protective factor, which could help clinicians to identify patients with adverse outcome at the early stage of COVID-19.