Liver function abnormality on admission predicts long COVID syndrome in digestive system.

BACKGROUND

Clinical practice showed that many patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection presented with long COVID syndrome in digestive system. We sought to investigate the factor affecting the incidence of long COVID syndrome in digestive system.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection diagnosed at two centers of Zhongshan Hospital and one center of Shanghai Pudong Hospital from March 01, 2022 to May 31, 2022 were enrolled, collected in the hospital database, and followed up until March 30, 2023. The primary outcome of the study was the occurrence of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 in the digestive system (long COVID syndrome). Modified Poisson regression was used to calculate the relative risk (RR). This cohort study included 494 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, 144 (29.1 %) patients developed liver function abnormality on admission. During the follow-up period, the primary study outcome occurred in 30 (20.8 %) of the group presenting with liver function abnormality on admission and in 20 (5.7 %) of the group without liver function abnormality on admission (adjusted, RR = 3.550, 95%CI: 2.099-6.006,  ≤ 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that patients with COVID-19 who experience liver function abnormality on admission have an increased risk of developing long COVID syndrome in the digestive system.