Echocardiographic Evaluation of Cardiac Involvement in Patients with COVID-19

Abstract

Cardiac involvement in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is closely associated with morbidity and mortality. Patients with preexisting cardiovascular disease and/or cardiovascular involvement have poor prognoses. This prospective study aimed to identify patients requiring cardiac function evaluation using echocardiography. Data from 243 patients with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis between June and November 2021 were analyzed. The demographic and clinical characteristics of all participants were recorded, and echocardiographic examinations were performed. The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of abnormalities on echocardiography. Echocardiographic findings were normal in 133 (54.7%) patients and abnormal in 110 (45.3%) patients. Abnormal findings were significantly more common than normal findings in patients requiring intensive care and patients with elevated cardiac biomarker (troponin I and/or brain natriuretic peptide) levels (p