A left shift in the oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Dominik J Vogel, Federico Formenti, Andrew Retter, Francesco Vasques, Luigi Camporota

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43 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

Critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) present with hypoxaemia and are mechanically ventilated to support gas exchange. We performed a retrospective, observational study of blood gas analyses (n = 3518) obtained from patients with COVID-19 to investigate changes in haemoglobin oxygen (Hb–O 2) affinity. Calculated oxygen tension at half-saturation (p 50) was on average (±SD) 3·3 (3·13) mmHg lower than the normal p 50 value (23·4 vs. 26·7 mmHg; P < 0·0001). Compared to an unmatched historic control of patients with other causes of severe respiratory failure, patients with COVID-19 had a significantly higher Hb–O 2 affinity (mean [SD] p 50 23·4 [3·13] vs. 24·6 [5.4] mmHg; P < 0·0001). We hypothesise that, due to the long disease process, acclimatisation to hypoxaemia could play a role.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)390-393
Number of pages4
JournalBritish Journal of Haematology
Volume191
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2020

Keywords

  • Haematology
  • Physiology
  • oxygen affinity
  • COVID-19
  • Intensive care medicine

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