Abstract
Background: Relative bradycardia has been observed in COVID-19 patients, and its potential as a diagnostic tool has been acknowledged. However, its role as an indicator of disease severity remains unclear.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study, conducted at a single center, included consecutive COVID-19 patients admitted to an acute care hospital in Japan from April 1, 2020, to July 31, 2021. Data were collected from electronic medical records, and the incidence of relative bradycardia was examined. Logistic regression analyses were employed to evaluate differences in outcomes between patients with and without relative bradycardia. In the primary analysis, the main outcome was the relationship between relative bradycardia during hospital stay and hypoxemia during the same period. In a sub-group analysis, we investigated whether relative bradycardia at admission is predictive of the subsequent development of hypoxemia.
Results: Relative bradycardia was strongly correlated with hypoxemia during hospital stay (adjusted odds ratio 7.84;95% confidence interval 3.37-18.24). In the sub-group analysis, relative bradycardia at admission was also strongly correlated with the development of hypoxemia after the second hospital day.
Conclusions: This study found that relative bradycardia was correlated with the severity of disease in COVID-19 patients.
