Several biomarkers found in blood tests performed on patients with coronavirus may allow doctors to detect the more critical cases and help them prevent infections from becoming less common, according to a new study.
Researchers from George Washington University said in a study published in Future Medicine that five biomarkers were associated with greater chances of decay and possible death from the disease, Fox News reported.
“This study has identified these five biomarkers as an association with poor outcomes and not a cause in a U.S. cohort,” undercover authors Drs. Juan Reyes and Shant Ayanian told the news in a statement.
The authors said they decided to start the investigation after early findings in China showed that biomarkers were associated with poor outcomes in patients affected by the fatal defect.
The scientists studied the blood of 299 people who tested positive for COVID-19 and then analyzed five biomarkers present in their blood, according to the release, quoted by Fox News.
Of the total, 200 patients had analyzed all five biomarkers, including CRP, D-dimer, IL-6, LDH and ferritin, the network reported.
Higher levels of the biomarkers were linked to hemorrhages and inflammations that left an increased risk of admission to intensive care units, ventilation support and death, the report said.
The greatest risk of death occurred when the D-dimer level was greater than 3 μg / ml and the LDH was higher than 1200 units / l, the authors said.
“We hope these biomarkers help physicians determine how aggressively they need to treat patients, when a patient should be discharged, and how they can monitor patients going home, among other clinical decisions,” Ayanian said. , an assistant professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Doctors have so far investigated the severity of the disease progression based on age and pre-existing medical conditions, including obesity, heart disease and a compromised immune system, the authors noted.
But a simple blood test could help guide patients’ treatment, she added.
“In light of the current challenges facing the pandemic, particularly for institutions dealing with an overwhelming number of patients in hospital, this study could be useful for clinicians in identifying sick patients. and help use, “the authors told Fox News.
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