Clinical course in patients with COVID-19 according to LFT abnormality at hospital admission
| AST normal n=116 | AST elevation n=91 | P value | ALT normal n=147 | ALT elevation n=59 | P value | TBIL normal n=197 | TBIL elevation n=10 | P value | GGT normal n=129 | GGT elevation n=80 | P value | Albumin normal n=91 | Hypoalbuminaemia n=74 | P value | |
| Severe COVID-19† | 33.60% | 52.70% | 0.006* | 38.10% | 50.80% | ns | 41.60% | 50% | ns | 37.20% | 46.30% | ns | 25.60% | 80.30% | <0.001* |
| ICU admission | 26.70% | 49.50% | 0.001* | 30.60% | 50.80% | 0.006* | 37.10% | 30.00% | ns | 29.50% | 45.00% | 0.022* | 20.00% | 76.10% | <0.001* |
| Time to ICU admission (days) | 2 (0–62) | 1 (0–41) | 0.006* | 2 (0–62) | 1 (0–34) | ns | 1 (0–62) | 3 (0–41) | ns | 1 (0–28) | 1 (0–62) | ns | 3 (0–28) | 1 (0–62) | 0.037* |
| Mechanical ventilation | 23.30% | 46.20% | 0.001* | 25.90% | 50.80% | 0.001* | 33.50% | 30.00% | ns | 24.80% | 43.80% | 0.004* | 16.70% | 71.80% | <0.001* |
| NIV | 0.90% | 2.20% | 0.002* | 1.40% | 1.70% | 0.002* | 1.00% | 10.00% | ns | 1.60% | 1.30% | 0.013* | 0.00% | 2.80% | <0.001* |
| IV | 22.40% | 21.90% | 24.50% | 49.20% | 32.50% | 20.00% | 23.30% | 42.50% | 16.70% | 69.00% | |||||
| ECMO | 1.70% | 7.70% | 0.037* | 3.40% | 6.80% | ns | 4.10% | 10.00% | ns | 2.30% | 6.30% | ns | 3.30% | 8.50% | ns |
| All-cause mortality | 13.80% | 16.50% | ns | 15.60% | 11.90% | ns | 13.70% | 40.00% | 0.023* | 12.40% | 15.00% | ns | 10.00% | 25.40% | 0.010* |
| COVID-19-related mortality | 13.80% | 13.20% | ns | 14.30% | 10.20% | ns | 12.70% | 40.00% | 0.015* | 11.60% | 13.80% | ns | 8.90% | 22.50% | 0.016* |
Data are presented as the percentage of patients with abnormal findings of the respective parameters in relation to all patients within the respective groups. Time from admission to ICU admission is presented as median (range).
*Bold values show a statistical significance (p≤0.05).
†Severe COVID-19 is defined as the composite endpoint comprised of ICU admission and/or COVID-19-related death.
ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; ECMO, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; GGT, gamma-glutamyltransferase; ICU, intensive care unit; IV, invasive ventilation; LFT, liver function test; NIV, non-invasive ventilation; ; ns, not significant; TBIL, total bilirubin.