Right heart echocardiography findings in hypoxic pneumonia patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in a South African population

Abstract Aims The right ventricle is affected by Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) via multiple mechanisms, which can result in right ventricular dysfunction (RVD). This study aimed to provide an assessment of right heart function using conventional echocardiography and advanced strain imaging, in patients with hypoxic pneumonia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods and results This study was an observational, prospective, single-centre study, including adults with hypoxic pneumonia, in two groups: COVID-19 pneumonia; and non-COVID-19 pneumonia. Bedside echocardiography was performed according to a pre-specified protocol and all right heart measurements were done as per standard guidelines. Right ventricular free wall strain (RVFWS) was measured using Philips® QLAB 11.0 speckle tracking software. Descriptive and comparative statistics were used to analyse data. Spearman Rank Order Correlations were used to determine the correlation between right ventricular (RV) parameters and clinical parameters. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to characterize the predictors of in-hospital mortality. We enrolled 48 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and 24 with non-COVID-19 pneumonia. COVID-19 patients were significantly older with a higher frequency of hypertension and diabetes and a trend towards a lower severity of illness score. Mean RVFWS yielded the highest estimates for the prevalence of RVD (81%), with no difference between the two pneumonia groups. Median Tricuspid Annular Plane Systolic Excursion (TAPSE) and right ventricular systolic excursion velocity (RVS’) were not significantly different between COVID-19 (TAPSE 17.2 and RVS’ 12), and non-COVID-19 pneumonia (TAPSE 17.8 and RVS’ 12.1) with P values of 0.29 and 0.86, respectively. Non-COVID-19 pneumonia patients with moderate to severe hypoxaemia (PF < 150) were at greater risk of an elevated RV Systolic Pressure >30 mmHg respiratory rate = 3.25 (CI 1.35–7.82) on admission. Troponin levels discriminated between COVID-19 survivors (6 ng/L) and non-survivors (13 ng/L), P = 0.04. The mortality rate for COVID-19 was high (27%) compared to non-COVID-19 pneumonia (12%). Conclusion Patients with COVID-19 pneumonia had a similar admission prevalence of RVD when compared to patients with non-COVID-19 pneumonia. Despite preserved traditional parameters of RV systolic function, RVFWS was diminished in both groups, and we propose that RVFWS serves as an important marker of the subclinical disease of RV.