The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adult bronchiectasis patients and the relationship between clinical parameters and bronchiectasis severity

S. Gul, M.A. Uysal, H. Abalı, A. Yeter, E.S. Akalın Karaca, N. Alagoz, D. Bilici, E.Y. Ozgun Niksarlıoglu

Chest Diseases Department, University of Health Sciences, Yedikule Chest Diseases and Chest Surgery Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. suleeyhan@gmail.com

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• Infectious Diseases
• Respiratory Medicine

OBJECTIVE: Viral infections are an important cause of exacerbation in bronchiectasis patients. We aimed to determine the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on adult bronchiectasis patients and whether there was a relationship between the clinical parameters and the COVID-19 infection.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this retrospective observational study, 547 bronchiectasis patients were included. Demographic characteristics, vaccination status, Bronchiectasis Severity Index (BSI), FACED and Reiff scores, and clinical and laboratory parameters during COVID-19 infection were evaluated.

RESULTS: The median age was 56, and 49.2% of the patients were male. The COVID-19 infection rate was 27.6%. 431 (78.8%) patients had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The patients were divided into two groups according to their COVID-19 infection status. Emergency admission was significantly higher in the COVID-19-infected group. There was no statistical difference with other clinical factors. The COVID-19-infected patients were divided into home treatment and hospital/intensive care unit (ICU) treatment groups. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding advanced age, male gender, presence of asthma, long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) and non-invasive mechanic ventilator (NIMV) usage, sputum culture positivity, BSI and FACED scores, and multiple laboratory parameters (ferritin, C-reactive protein, eosinophil). In logistic regression analysis, BSI was found as a risk factor [OR 1.252 (1.077-1.456), p=0.004] and eosinophilia as a protective factor [OR 0.986 (0.973-0.999), p=0.030] for hospital/ICU admission.

CONCLUSIONS: Frequent emergency visits might increase the risk of COVID-19 infection in bronchiectasis patients. BSI was found to be an independent risk factor, and blood eosinophilia could play a protective role in hospital/ICU admission for COVID-19 infection.

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