Considerations in imaging interpretations for colitis in critically ill patients during the COVID-19 era

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Sooyoung Martin, University Hospitals Case Medical Center; Jonathan Pierce, University Hospitals Case Medical Center; Elias Kikano, Emory University; Derek Vos, University Hospitals Case Medical Center; Sree Harsha Tirumani, University Hospitals Case Medical Center; Nikhil Ramaiya, University Hospitals Case Medical Center
• Language: English
• Date: 2021-08-01
• Publisher: American Society of Emergency Radiology
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © American Society of Emergency Radiology 2021
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10140-021-01925-2
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Emergency Radiology
• Volume: 28
• Issue: 4
• Start Page: 699
• End Page: 704
• Keywords: Colitis; Pneumonia, Viral; Critical Illness; Coronavirus disease 2019; COVID-19; Critical illness; Multi-detector computed tomography; SARS-CoV-2; Retrospective Studies; Female; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Humans; Intensive Care Units; Middle Aged; Risk Factors; Male
• Research Categories: Biology, Virology

Abstract

Objective: The study aims to demonstrate risk factors for colitis in intensive care unit patients with and without coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: Retrospective review was performed to identify intensive care unit (ICU) patients with the diagnosis of COVID-19 with computed tomography (CT) between March 20 and December 31, 2020. ICU patients without COVID-19 diagnosis with CT between March 20 and May 10, 2020 were also identified. CT image findings of colitis or terminal ileitis as well as supportive treatment including ventilator, vasopressors, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed to determine if clinical factors differed in patients with and without positive CT finding. Results: Total 61 ICU patients were selected, including 32 (52%) COVID-19-positive patients and 29 (48%) non-COVID-19 patients. CT findings of colitis or terminal ileitis were identified in 27 patients (44%). Seventy-four percent of the patients with positive CT findings (20/27) received supportive therapies prior to CT, while 56% of the patients without abnormal CT findings (19/34) received supportive therapies. Vasopressor treatment was significantly associated with development of colitis and/or terminal ileitis (p = 0.04) and COVID-19 status was not significantly different between these groups (p = 0.07). Conclusions: In our study, there was significant correlation between prior vasopressor therapy and imaging findings of colitis or terminal ileitis in ICU patients, independent of COVID-19 status. Our observation raises a possibility that the reported COVID-19-related severe gastrointestinal complications and potential poor outcome could have been confounded by underlying severe critically ill status, and warrants a caution in diagnosis of gastrointestinal complication.