COVID-19 and Myocardial Injury in a Brazilian ICU: High Incidence and Higher Risk of In-Hospital Mortality

Abstract Background The incidence of myocardial injury (MI) in patients with COVID-19 in Brazil and the prognostic impact of MI have not been elucidated. Objectives To describe the incidence of MI in patients with COVID-19 in the intensive care unit (ICU) and to identify variables associated with its occurrence. The secondary objective was to assess high-sensitivity troponin I as a predictor of in-hospital mortality. Methods Retrospective, observational study conducted between March and April 2020 with cases of confirmed COVID-19 admitted to the ICU. Numerical variables were compared by using Student t test or Mann-Whitney U test. The chi-square test was used for categorical variables. Multivariate analysis was performed with variables associated with MI and p48.3 ng/mL, which was determined in the ROC curve, predicts higher in-hospital mortality [AUC 0.786; p48.3 ng/mL was lower than that in the group with values ≤48.3 ng/dL [20.3 x 43.5 days, respectively; p