Is the Urine Analysis, a Diagnostic Value in COVID-19 Patients?
Sonti Sulochana
Department of Pathology, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital Saveetha Nagar, Thandalam, Chennai 602105, Tamil Nadu, India.
Lakshmi Priya Asokan *
Department of Pathology, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital Saveetha Nagar, Thandalam, Chennai 602105, Tamil Nadu, India.
. Mathesh
Department of Pathology, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital Saveetha Nagar, Thandalam, Chennai 602105, Tamil Nadu, India.
Chitra Srinivasan
Department of Pathology, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital Saveetha Nagar, Thandalam, Chennai 602105, Tamil Nadu, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2), a novel coronavirus causing Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) in December 2019, is now a pandemic infectious disease, primarily affecting the respiratory tract. To date, many investigations are available for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. A viral nucleic acid test has been used for the diagnosis of COVID-19, and some hematological indicators have been used in the auxiliary diagnosis and identification of the severity of COVID-19. There are very few studies available in routine urine biochemical parameters and their relation with Covid-19 patients.
Aim: This study is aimed to study the changes in urine parameter values in COVID-19 disease and to predict the severity of the disease with the changes in urine parameters.
Materials and Methods: A total of 150 patients with COVID-19 were admitted at Saveetha Medical College and Hospital during the study period. All cases tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR test done on nasopharyngeal swabs during the study period were included. Patients who tested negative by RT-PCR test were considered as controls. The relationship between the results of urine biochemical parameters and the severity of COVID-19 were analysed by Descriptive statistics, Chi-squared test.
Results: The positive rates of proteinuria (PRO) and leucocytes were more significant in COVID-19 patients than in healthy controls. The urine specific gravity (SG) value was highly significant (p <0.001) while the blood, nitrites in urine, and potential of hydrogen (pH) value was insignificant.
Conclusion: There were some considerable changes in few urine biochemical parameters between patients with the SARS-CoV-2 and healthy controls. So from this study we conclude, proteinuria is helpful for predicting COVID-19 severity and kidney function.
Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, urine biochemical parameters, hematuria