Hypokalemia as a sensitive biomarker of disease severity and the requirement for invasive mechanical ventilation requirement in COVID-19 pneumonia: A case series of 306 Mediterranean patients
Óscar Moreno, José‐Manuel León‐Ramírez, Laura Fuertes-Kenneally, Miguel Perdiguero, Mariano Andrés, M García-Navarro, Paloma Ruiz-Torregrosa, Vicente Boix, Joan Gil, Esperanza Merino, Santos Asensio, Cleofé Fernández, Alfredo Candela, Ma del Mar García, Rosario Sánchez‐Martínez, Sergio Reus, Paloma Ruiz, Raquel García Sevila, María-Ángeles Martínez, María-Mar García-Mullor, M. Blanes, Jaime Guijarro, J.C. Pascual, Iris L. Gonzalez, Pedro Sanso, José Manuel Ramos, Jaime Javaloy, Clara Llopis, Olga Coronado, Esther García, Gonzalo Rodríguez, P. Melgar, Mariano Franco, Fèlix Lluı́s, Carmen Zaragoza, Cándido Alcaraz, Ana Carrión, C. Villodre, Emilio Ruiz de la Cuesta, Cristina Alenda, Francisca Peiró, María Planelles, Laura Greco, S.D.L.P. Silvia, Antonio Francia, Iván Verdú, Juan Sales, Ana Redondo Palacios, H. Ballester, Antonio García-Valentín, Marta Márquez, E. Canelo, A. Ruiz de León San Juan, Elena Vives
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: ) appear to be significantly lower in severe cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and the clinical significance of this is unknown. The objective was to investigate whether hypokalemia acts as a biomarker of severity in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia and is associated with major clinical outcomes. METHODS: >3.5 mmol/l). The main outcomes were all-cause mortality and the need for invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV); these were analyzed by multiple logistic regression (odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence interval (CI)). RESULTS: . Hypokalemia was associated with longer hospital and ICU stays. CONCLUSIONS: Hypokalemia is prevalent in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Hypokalemia is an independent predictor of IMV requirement and seems to be a sensitive biomarker of severe progression of COVID-19.