The Frequency of Ocular Surface Inflammation Findings and Relationship with Mortality in Patients Diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Retrospective Study

OpenAlex İngilizce

Objective: To investigate the frequency of inflammationrelated examination findings of the ocular surface observed in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), levels of inflammation markers and their relationship with mortality. Material and Methods: One hundred ninety-one patients with laboratory- confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who received inpatient treatment in the Afyonkarahisar/Sandıklı State Hospital between April 1 and September 30, 2020 were included in the study. The relationship was examined between ocular surface examination findings and white blood cell, neutrophil and leukocyte counts, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase and, ferritin levels.The relationship between duration of hospital and intensive care unit stay, mortality and ocular surface examination was also evaluated. Results: A statistically significant correlation was determined between an increase in white blood cells and neutrophil count (p=0.011, p=0.008) and C-reactive protein and ferritin levels (p=0.044, p=0.031) with ocular surface examination findings. However, the relationship between the level of lactate dehydrogenase, another inflammatory marker, and ocular surface examination findings was not statistically significant (p=0.338). The relationship between length of stay in hospital, inten sive care unit, mortality and ocular surface examination findings was determined to be statistically significant (p=0.038, p=0,003, p<0.001). Conclusion: The study results showed that a relationship was frequently seen between the ocular surface examination findings and white blood cell and neutrophil counts and C-reactive protein and ferritin levels. Due to increased mortality associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in cases with pathology observed in the ocular surface examination, it must be considered in the treatment process that there could be a worse prognosis of the clinical course.