Role of Glycaemic Control in Predicting
Severity of Illness in COVID-19 Patients
with Diabetes Mellitus
OC25-OC27
Correspondence
Dr. Vollala Shravan Kumar,
H. No. 9-6-129/2, Ramna Gar, Karim Nagar-505001, Telangana, India.
E-mail: sravancaims@gmail.com
Introduction: Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia is a rapidly spreading disease which causes morbidity and mortality of many patients. Diabetes mellitus is a co-morbidity which is considered as a risk factor for COVID-19. Well-controlled diabetes is associated with better outcomes than poorly controlled diabetes. Measurement of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) is the standard method for assessing long term glycaemic control. Regardless of the level of hyperglycaemia, improvement in glycaemic control will lower the risk of diabetic complications.
Aim: To identify the role of glycaemic control (HbA1c) in predicting the severity of illness in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.
Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of (51 diabetic and 51 non diabetic) patients at Kamineni Academy of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, India. The patients diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia, were included both diabetics and non diabetics from June 2020 to September 2020. Patients age, sex, baseline HbA1c levels, and oxygen requirement during the hospital stay were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 22.0. The Chi-square test was used to analyse qualitative data and p-value significant at level <0.05.
Results: In the study among diabetics (n=51), 20 (39.2%) were on room air, 24 (47.1%) required intermittent oxygen support, 3 (5.9%) high flow oxygen, and 4 (7.8%) non invasive ventilator support. Among non diabetics (n=51), 28 (54.9%) were on room air, 18 (35.3%) on intermittent oxygen, 2 (3.9%) high flow oxygen, and 3 (5.9%) Non Invasive Ventilator (NIV) support. It was observed that patients with poor glycaemic control required more oxygen support during treatment in diabetics (p-value:0.469).
Conclusion: In the present study, patients with poor glycaemic control required insignificantly, more oxygen support than patients with good glycaemic control.