COVID-19 in adults with congenital heart disease: early morbidity and mortality in two northern Italian specialist centers

Published: 18 March 2021
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There is no information on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related outcomes for adult patients with congenital heart disease (ACHD). We aim to assess the clinical burden of COVID-19 on ACHD patients during the initial stages of the pandemic in Europe. ACHD patients followed in 2 tertiary centers in the Lombardy region were screened for COVID-19-related symptoms and complications. 661 patients (52.3% male, mean age 34.9±11.7 years) with CHD of moderate (58.5%) or high (32.8%) complexity were contacted. Of these, 145 (21.9%) reported typical COVID-19 symptoms, but only 4.8% required hospitalization. We did not record confirmed COVID-19-related deaths. Patients hospitalized were elderly (P=0.03), more likely to be receiving diuretics (P=0.03) or beta-blockers (P=0.02), and have been admitted over the previous year (P=0.003). Of the 7 patients hospitalized, 2 had a systemic RV and 2 a Fontan circulation. COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality have been low in ACHD patients 6 weeks from the start of the outbreak, in one of the worse hit European regions.

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How to Cite

Ferrero, P., Chessa, M., Piazza, I., Bonino, C., Ferrari, I., Giamberti, A., Ciuffreda, M., & Dimopoulos, K. (2021). COVID-19 in adults with congenital heart disease: early morbidity and mortality in two northern Italian specialist centers. Italian Journal of Medicine, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.4081/itjm.2021.1397

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