Abstract

Background: Pro-thrombotic changes are stimulated by Corona Virus as it has an affinity for endothelium and lung structures and this may explain its association with thrombotic events, reduction of pulmonary gas exchange, respiratory distress, and death. D-dimer is a specific marker of the breakdown of a fibrin clot and has been used as a diagnostic and prognostic marker in VTE and other coagulation disorders. So this study was conducted to assess the correlation of the D-Dimer levels with demographic profile and disease severity among COVID-19 patients. Methods: This was a Retrosprctive observational study. Four hundred and twenty (420) covid-19 positive patients were studied at tertiary care hospital KRIMS,Karwar, from July-2021 to December-2021. A citrate sample was collected of all patients who tested positive for the covid-19 disease. Citrated plasma was separated from each sample after proper centrifugation. Hemolysed samples and samples with insufficient quantity were rejected. In such cases, a new sample of the same patient was collected. D dimer test was then carried out from separated citrate plasma. Cut off value for d-dimer is 0.5 [Positive: >0.5 Fibrinogen equivalent units (FEU)/ml]. Result: From 420 cases: 290 males and 130 Females affected with peak occurrence in their sixth and seventh decade. A similar distribution pattern was found with a High D-dimer level also. The majority of the patients with elevated d-dimer levels had moderate to severe symptoms and required hospitalization. Conclusion: A significant correlation is found between elderly age with elevated d-dimer level, and it was found to be more common in female patients(50.76%). So, d-dimer is one of the most important tests to be carried out in a hospitalized novel corona disease patient for preventing thrombotic events with timely interventions guided by d-dimer level.

Description