D-Dimer Level on Admission as an Outcome Predictor of COVID-19 Patients in Intensive Care Units in Bangladesh

Purpose: This study investigated the D-dimer level on admission as a significant predictor of outcomes for COVID-19 patients. Setting: This cross-sectional study was conducted among purposively selected RT-PCR-positive 52 COVID-19 patients in the Intensive Care Unit at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University in Dhaka, Bangladesh, between July 2020 and June 2021. Methodology: The analysis was done using SPSS software version 24. Continuous variables were analyzed for inferential statistics using the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Pearson's correlation analysis was done on D-dimer and many hematological and biochemical markers in COVID-19 patients. Primary and secondaryoutcome: The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality, and secondary outcomes included a comparison between D-dimer levels and chances of mortality. Results: The mean±SD of the patient's age was 58.09±10.01 years (34-88 years), with 42 (80.8%) being over 50 years old and the majority of them were male 30 (57.7%). A maximum 36 (69.2%) patients fell into the severe COVID-19 category; 36 (69.2%) of the total patients died after 28 days of admission. On admission, D-dimer levels were more significant in death patients compared to those who survived (7.96±7.40 vs 0.98±1.88 µg/mL, p <0.001). Conclusions: On admission, D-dimer levels are strong predictors of COVID-19 severity and death. However, experimental research is needed to explore the actual scenario. Strengths and Limitations: This was a study to predict mortality among COVID-19 patients. Long-term follow-up was not undertaken because it was outside the study's scope, and the D-dimer's half-lifewas around 8 hours. It was a single-centered study. Data Availability Statement: Datasets prepared during and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.