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. 2021 Feb 20;17(2):141–151. doi: 10.1007/s12519-021-00419-y

Table 2.

Pooled estimates of single-arm meta-analysis for COVID-19 patients

Characteristics # Studies Sample size Association measure Effect size Heterogeneity Publication bias
Estimate 95% CI P value I2 P value P value
Demographic data
Age, y 15 318 M 9.10 8.494, 9.714  < 0.001 0.0% 1.00 0.715
Sex: (girls) 15 318 P 49.50 43.0, 56.1  < 0.001 27.89% 0.15 0.775
Sex: (boys) 15 318 P 50.50 43.9, 57.0  < 0.001 27.89% 0.15 0.774
BMI, kg/m2 5 95 M 19.34 17.86, 20.82  < 0.001 19.0% 0.29 0.063
Race: (Black) 8 229 P 36.80 26.3, 47.4  < 0.001 65.77% 0.005 0.501
Race: (Asian) 7 185 P 13.60 4.70, 22.6 0.003 74.51%  < 0.001 0.032
Race: (White) 8 229 P 16.40 10.7, 22.1  < 0.001 27.76% 0.20 0.285
SARS-CoV-2 screening
Nasopharyngeal RT-PCR 7 138 P 46.50 12.9, 80.1 0.007 96.25%  < 0.001 0.277
Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG 8 167 P 69.60 48.9, 90.2  < 0.001 91.31%  < 0.001 0.471
C. Kawasaki dis criteria
Fever 9 177 P 82.40 69.8, 95.1  < 0.001 94.23%  < 0.001 0.018
Lips/oral cavity changes 6 124 P 58.10 38.6, 77.6  < 0.001 82.64%  < 0.001 0.585
Conjunctival injection 10 227 P 56.00 40.0, 71.9  < 0.001 85.56%  < 0.001 0.227
Rash 11 235 P 63.70 53.8, 73.5  < 0.001 59.62% 0.006 0.267
Changes to extremities 4 101 P 40.70 12.9, 68.5 0.004 86.67%  < 0.001 0.537
Cervical lymphadenopathy 6 136 P 28.50 13.9, 43.1  < 0.001 73.13% 0.002 0.918
Presentations
Gastrointestinal 14 303 P 79.40 68.1, 90.7  < 0.001 92.48%  < 0.001 0.012
Neurocognitive 11 271 P 31.80 21.9, 41.8  < 0.001 70.30%  < 0.001 0.757
Respiratory 8 232 P 29.60 19.6, 39.6  < 0.001 66.65% 0.004 0.948
E. Comorbidities
Asthma 3 82 P 14.60 6.9, 22.2  < 0.001 0.0% 0.96 NA
Obesity 4 126 P 26.00 7.1, 44.9 0.007 85.99%  < 0.001 0.092
Investigations
Abnormal ECG 6 89 P 55.30 45.1, 65.6  < 0.001 0.0% 0.88 0.365
Abnormal Chest X-ray 3 70 P 45.50 24.9, 66.0  < 0.001 68.97% 0.040 0.187
Laboratory tests
WBCs, × 109/L 8 228 M 13.20 10.82, 15.59  < 0.001 84.99%  < 0.001 0.198
Lymphocytes, × 109/L 9 208 M 0.93 0.737, 1.125  < 0.001 70.06%  < 0.001 0.067
 Neutrophils, × 109/L 4 115 M 12.67 8.56, 16.76  < 0.001 87.44%  < 0.001 0.471
Platelets, × 109/L 9 239 M 180.01 154.4, 205.6  < 0.001 65.77% 0.003 0.027
Hemoglobin, g/dL 7 106 M 10.4 9.55, 11.39  < 0.001 80.20%  < 0.001 0.703
Troponin, ng/L 12 241 M 110.71 59.08, 162.3  < 0.001 72.76%  < 0.001 0.426
NT-proBNP, pg/mL 12 241 M 5648.78 3823, 7474  < 0.001 95.45%  < 0.001 0.374
LDH, U/L 5 158 M 637.21 358.7, 915.7  < 0.001 96.02%  < 0.001 0.205
ALT, U/L 8 232 M 46.86 39.1, 54.6  < 0.001 36.71% 0.13 0.009
AST, U/L 4 127 M 52.89 45.9, 59.8  < 0.001 0.0% 0.56 0.299
Albumin, g/L 9 239 M 27.15 23.5, 30.7  < 0.001 95.65%  < 0.001 0.324
Creatinine, μmol/L 6 151 M 74.93 59.4, 90.4  < 0.001 38.58% 0.14 0.039
Sodium, mmol/L 8 150 M 131.70 129.3, 134.1  < 0.001 88.98%  < 0.001 0.094
CRP, mg/L 12 262 M 215.58 192.5, 238.7  < 0.001 55.15% 0.011 0.652
ESR, mm/h 4 102 M 64.64 54.28, 74.99  < 0.001 38.30% 0.18 0.335
Ferritin, ng/mL 9 194 M 763.24 658.8, 867.6  < 0.001 16.93% 0.29 0.018
Fibrinogen, g/L 4 144 M 6.24 4.68, 7.80  < 0.001 96.03%  < 0.001 0.166
Procalcitonin, ng/mL 6 117 M 19.24 8.67, 29.80  < 0.001 73.16% 0.002 0.002
Interleukin-6, pg/mL 4 115 M 189.67 145.4, 233.8  < 0.001 0.0% 0.512 0.122
D-dimer, μg/mL 8 191 M 3.79 2.57, 5.02  < 0.001 89.25%  < 0.001 0.025
Prothrombin time, sec 3 56 M 4.09 2.92, 5.27  < 0.001 99.07%  < 0.001 0.318
Complications
Shock 5 158 P 68.10 51.9, 84.3  < 0.001 80.67%  < 0.001 0.085
Hypotension 5 75 P 77.00 56.9, 97.0  < 0.001 82.18%  < 0.001 0.147
Acute kidney injury 4 141 P 41.10 15.0, 67.1 0.002 91.83%  < 0.001 0.665
PICU admission 10 173 P 73.70 60.3, 87.1  < 0.001 86.52%  < 0.001 0.137
Mechanical ventilation 9 198 P 37.90 28.3, 47.6  < 0.001 46.46% 0.060 0.887
Intubation 2 102 P 13.2 0.5, 82.1 0.27 97.16%  < 0.001 NA
Length of stay, days 5 112 M 6.77 4.93, 8.60  < 0.001 86.81%  < 0.001 0.392
Medications
Epinephrine 3 61 P 40.20 7.2, 73.2 0.017 86.03%  < 0.001 0.942
Norepinephrine 3 61 P 45.10 9.0, 81.2 0.014 91.26%  < 0.001 0.470
Milrinone vasodilator 3 61 P 42.90 2.7, 83.0 0.036 91.94%  < 0.001 0.954
Intravenous Ig 12 258 P 87.70 80.8, 94.7  < 0.001 77.75%  < 0.001 0.001
Steroids 7 188 P 56.90 33.6, 80.2  < 0.001 94.68%  < 0.001 0.878
Anakinra (anti-IL1) 5 184 P 9.40 4.6, 14.2  < 0.001 20.31% 0.28 0.155
Hydroxychloroquine 2 33 P 13.5 5.1, 31.0 0.001 5.99% 0.30 NA
Infliximab (anti-TNF) 2 91 P 8.5 2.0, 29.6 0.002 74.61% 0.047 NA
Anticoagulants 8 170 P 67.00 47.6, 86.3  < 0.001 94.12%  < 0.001 0.447

The random-effects model was applied. Association measure: pooled mean (M) was estimated for quantitative variables and untransformed proportions (P) were calculated for categorical events; I2: the ratio of true heterogeneity to total observed variation; publication bias: assessed by Egger’s test. CI confidence interval; BMI body mass index; Gastrointestinal symptoms included vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain; Neurocognitive symptoms included headache, irritability, lethargy, vision change; Respiratory symptoms included cough and dyspnea; ECG electrocardiogram; PICU pediatric intensive care unit; NT-proBNP N‐terminal-prohormone B‐type natriuretic peptide; CK creatine kinase; LDH lactate dehydrogenase; ALT alanine aminotransferase; AST aspartate aminotransferase; CRP c-reactive protein; ESR erythrocyte sedimentation rate; WBCs white blood cell counts; RT-PCR reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction; Ig immunoglobulins; Anti-TNF anti-tumor necrosis