Diagnostic value of abdominal sonography in confirmed COVID-19 intensive care patients

BACKGROUND: In December 2019, a large outbreak of a novel coronavirus infection occurred in Wuhan, China. The pneumonic disease caused by this virus is called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by the World Health Organization (WHO). As case numbers have increased worldwide, gastro-intestinal symptoms like diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, and vomiting have been increased, these symptoms associated with positive laboratory results including abnormal liver function tests, renal function tests, and D-Dimer levels. Although there are multiple articles evaluated the imaging findings in HRCT of COVID-19 patients that helped in understanding the disease course and potential complications in the chest, yet there are—to our knowledge—limited data about the abdominal imaging findings of the course and potential abdominal complications of COVID-19 notably in the intensive care units (ICU). RESULTS: Forty-one sonographic examinations were done for 30 confirmed COVID-intensive care patients presented with abdominal symptoms. Of the 30 patients, 26 were males (86.66%), and 4 were females (13.3%), the average age of the patients was 57.7 years old. The most common sonographic observation was hepatomegaly (n, 23/41, 56%) and biliary system disease (n, 17/41, 41.4%); the imaging findings were correlated with the clinical and laboratory data. CT examination when indicated (in our study to assess hematomas for active extravasation and to assess bowel obstruction and its level). CONCLUSION: Abdominal sonographic imaging was often performed for inpatients with COVID-19. Hepatobiliary dysfunction as well as nephropathy was the most common imaging findings.