PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Cristina Bezzio
AU  - Simone Saibeni
AU  - Angela Variola
AU  - Mariangela Allocca
AU  - Alessandro Massari
AU  - Viviana Gerardi
AU  - Valentina Casini
AU  - Chiara Ricci
AU  - Fabiana Zingone
AU  - Arnaldo Amato
AU  - Flavio Caprioli
AU  - Marco Vincenzo Lenti
AU  - Chiara Viganò
AU  - Marta Ascolani
AU  - Fabrizio Bossa
AU  - Fabiana Castiglione
AU  - Claudio Cortelezzi
AU  - Laurino Grossi
AU  - Monica Milla
AU  - Daniela Morganti
AU  - Luca Pastorelli
AU  - Davide Giuseppe Ribaldone
AU  - Alessandro Sartini
AU  - Alessandra Soriano
AU  - Gianpiero Manes
AU  - Silvio Danese
AU  - Massimo Fantini
AU  - Alessandro Armuzzi
AU  - Marco Daperno
AU  - Gionata Fiorino
ED  - ,
TI  - Outcomes of COVID-19 in 79 patients with IBD in Italy: an IG-IBD study
AID  - 10.1136/gutjnl-2020-321411
DP  - 2020 Jul 01
TA  - Gut
PG  - 1213--1217
VI  - 69
IP  - 7
4099  - http://gut.bmj.com/content/69/7/1213.short
4100  - http://gut.bmj.com/content/69/7/1213.full
SO  - Gut2020 Jul 01; 69
AB  - Objectives COVID-19 has rapidly become a major health emergency worldwide. Patients with IBD are at increased risk of infection, especially when they have active disease and are taking immunosuppressive therapy. The characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with IBD remain unclear.Design This Italian prospective observational cohort study enrolled consecutive patients with an established IBD diagnosis and confirmed COVID-19. Data regarding age, sex, IBD (type, treatments and clinical activity), other comorbidities (Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI)), signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and therapies were compared with COVID-19 outcomes (pneumonia, hospitalisation, respiratory therapy and death).Results Between 11 and 29 March 2020, 79 patients with IBD with COVID-19 were enrolled at 24 IBD referral units. Thirty-six patients had COVID-19-related pneumonia (46%), 22 (28%) were hospitalised, 7 (9%) required non-mechanical ventilation, 9 (11%) required continuous positive airway pressure therapy, 2 (3%) had endotracheal intubation and 6 (8%) died. Four patients (6%) were diagnosed with COVID-19 while they were being hospitalised for a severe flare of IBD. Age over 65 years (p=0.03), UC diagnosis (p=0.03), IBD activity (p=0.003) and a CCI score >1 (p=0.04) were significantly associated with COVID-19 pneumonia, whereas concomitant IBD treatments were not. Age over 65 years (p=0.002), active IBD (p=0.02) and higher CCI score were significantly associated with COVID-19-related death.Conclusions Active IBD, old age and comorbidities were associated with a negative COVID-19 outcome, whereas IBD treatments were not. Preventing acute IBD flares may avoid fatal COVID-19 in patients with IBD. Further research is needed.