LIVER INJURY IN COVID-19 INFECTION: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY IN TERTIARY CARE CENTRE.

Introduction The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) unquestionably changed the world and provided a fresh perspective on respiratory tract illness. However, coronavirus (COVID-19) cannot be viewed as a condition restricted to pneumonia of varying severity. Numerous reports have shown a variety of potential systemic symptoms, including liver issues. The pathogenesis of liver injury in COVID-19 individuals may include viral immunologic injury, drug-induced liver injury, the systemic inammatory response, hypoxia hepatitis, and worsening of pre-existing liver disease. We must distinguish between the onset of aberrant liver function, which can happen either at the time of diagnosis or while receiving treatment. Methods: 580 patients were admitted with COVID-19 between August 2020 -December 2020 in SUNSHINE HOSPITALS, SECUNDERABAD. A COVID-19 diagnosis was conrmed with a positive RT-PCR test.LFT was performed in all patients undergoing admission (DPD with sample blank,IFCC AMP method) in a standard laboratory. Results:In our observation only 34%(n=580) of patients had altered LFT in which majority are mixed type (51%), rest all were hepatocellular (39%) and cholestatic type (10%). Though mixed & hepatocellular pattern commonly seen in men, cholestatic pattern is signicantly seen in women(p<0.05), but there was no association found between BMI (p=0.10), other comorbidities and inammatory markers(P=0.10) in relation to altered LFT. Though 23% of the patients had altered LFT at the time of discharge, Majority (49%) got discharge with normalized LFT,but 28% of patients had worsening LFT with majority of them are in ICU. Most of the ICU admitted patients with altered LFT were elderly, obese with mixed type of altered LFT. 21 patients died in our series, but known of them had isolated liver injury. In covid patients all types of LFT changes were Conclusions: observed, most of the changes were resolved at the time of discharge. Persistent altered LFT was not a hindrance for the discharge. We could not notice isolated liver injury as causative factor for death in covid patients