Cardio-Cerebrovascular Disease is Associated With Severity and Mortality of COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Jia-Ning Yu, Bing-Bing Wu, Jie Yang and 2 others
PMID 32851851WHAT IT FOUND
Patients with cardio-cerebrovascular disease were more likely to be severely ill or die from COVID-19 in the pooled studies.
The paper's nurse caution is to watch for cardiac, cerebrovascular, medication, and antiviral side-effect concerns.
Key findings
01Patients with cardio-cerebrovascular disease had higher pooled odds of severe COVID-19 (OR = 3.004; 95% CI = 2.097-4.303).
02Patients with cardio-cerebrovascular disease had higher pooled odds of death (OR = 5.587; 95% CI = 2.810-11.112).
03The severity analysis showed funnel-plot evidence of publication bias, but the mortality analysis did not.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The included studies were observational, so they show association but not cause. Most studies were from China, so the results may not apply to patients elsewhere. There was high heterogeneity between studies, especially for mortality. The severity analysis had evidence of publication bias. Three included studies had not been peer-reviewed.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. Funding came from the Nantong Science and Technology Bureau.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the higher odds as proof that cardio-cerebrovascular disease causes severe disease or death. The studies were observational, the severity analysis showed publication bias, and the pooled results had high heterogeneity. The nurse monitoring advice is also not a tested intervention.