August 5, 2020

Outcomes and Implications of Diarrhea in Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Clinical Characteristics and Health Care Setting

• Shang et al. investigated the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with COVID-19 and diarrhea (157/576 consecutive patients presenting to a hospital) and the correlation between diarrhea and fecal presence of coronavirus. Patients with diarrhea and respiratory symptoms (n=119) had higher levels of the inflammatory markers procalcitonin and ferritin, longer hospital stays, and higher odds of mortality than those with diarrhea alone. Patients with diarrhea and no other symptoms (n=38) had milder illness than those with diarrhea and respiratory symptoms (n=119) or respiratory symptoms without diarrhea. Among a subset of participants with diarrhea (n=36) participants with positive stool RNA had a longer duration of diarrhea than participants with negative stool RNA (median 5 vs. 6 days). 

Shang et al. (Aug 4, 2020). Outcomes and Implications of Diarrhea in Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. https://doi.org/10.1080/00365521.2020.1800078