Right Ventricular Dysfunction in Ventilated Patients With COVID-19

INTRODUCTION Following the first reported cases in China, there has been a worldwide pandemic of a new virus commonly known as, Coronavirus. The virus causes a number of conditions including; cough, high temperature, painful muscles and breathing difficulties. The disease the virus causes is known as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). In the majority of cases these symptoms will get better without any treatment and without needing admission to hospital. In a small proportion of cases, the symptoms can be so bad that patients will need admission to hospital. Of the group admitted to hospital an even smaller group (approximately 5% of all confirmed coronavirus cases) will need treatment in an intensive care unit. This is often for severe breathing difficulties and sometimes requires the patient to be put on a breathing machine. The breathing machine is also known as a life support machine or ventilator and needing its support is known as 'ventilation' or 'being ventilated'.

In other conditions causing severe breathing difficulties requiring ventilation, pressure can be put on the right side of the heart ('the right heart [or right ventricle];' the part of the heart pumping blood to the lungs). This can cause the right heart to fail, struggling to pump blood forward and with a build-up of back pressure. This is also known as right heart (or ventricular) dysfunction. Patients needing ventilated, who develop problems with the right heart, are less likely to survive their intensive care stay. No scientists have examined whether patients with COVID-19, requiring ventilation, have problems with their right heart.

METHODS Using noninvasive ultrasound scans of the heart (echocardiography) the investigators will explore whether ventilated patients in intensive care have problems with their right heart. The investigators will also collect blood samples to look for damage to the heart during this time.

AIMS The aim of this study is to determine how many patients with COVID-19 needing ventilation have problems with the right heart. The investigators will explore if those patients with right heart problems are more likely to die by 30 days following their intensive care admission. By examining clinical data, the investigators will also look to see if any other conditions or treatments increase the risk of right heart problems. By identifying right heart problems in these patients, the investigators may be able to guide future studies to determine if any specific treatments targeted at protecting the right heart can improve outcomes in this patient group.