Intensive care unit

Diarrhea

Vomiting

Internal medicine

Confidence interval

Odds ratio

Nausea

Medicine

Gastroenterology

Abdominal pain

Indian Journal of Gastroenterology

To characterize the frequency and association of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms with outcomes in patients with corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) admitted to the hospital.Records were retrospectively collected from patients admitted to a tertiary care center in Washington, D.C., with confirmed COVID-19 from March 15, 2020 to July 15, 2020. After adjusting for clinical demographics and comorbidities, multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed.The most common presenting symptoms of COVID-19 in patients that were admitted to the hospital were cough (38.4%), shortness of breath (37.5%), and fever (34.3%), followed by GI symptoms in 25.9% of patients. The most common GI symptom was diarrhea (12.8%) followed by nausea or vomiting (10.5%), decreased appetite (9.3%), and abdominal pain (3.8%). Patients with diarrhea were more likely to die (odds ratio [OR] 2.750; p = 0.006; confidence interval [CI] 1.329-5.688), be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) (OR 2.242; p = 0.019; CI 1.139-4.413), and be intubated (OR 3.155; p = 0.002; CI 1.535-6.487). Additional outcomes analyzed were need for vasopressors, presence of shock, and acute kidney injury. Patients with diarrhea were 2.738 (p = 0.007; CI 1.325-5.658), 2.467 (p = 0.013; CI 1.209-5.035), and 2.694 (p = 0.007; CI 1.305-5.561) times more likely to experience these outcomes, respectively.Screening questions should be expanded to include common GI symptoms in patients with COVID-19. Health care providers should note whether their patient is presenting with diarrhea due to the potential implications on disease severity and outcomes.

Frequency and outcomes of gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with Corona Virus Disease-19 