Table 7.
Common laboratory findings among hospitalized patients with COVID-19* [2,5,34-36].
| Tests | Changes and interpretations |
|---|---|
| Hematological parameters (including hemostasis and coagulation) | |
| Complete blood count (hemogram) | Hemoglobin (usually normal, may be decreased in severe cases)Leukocyte (normal, decreased, increased (in ICU cases)) Lymphopenia (in most cases), <800 μL in severe casesEosinopenia (in most cases)Thrombocyte (normal, increased, slightly lower in severe cases; thrombocytopenia is linked to the disease severity and the mortality risk. |
| CD4 and CD8 | Decreased (in most cases) |
| PT and aPTT | Normal, slightly prolonged (in severe cases, especially in ICU cases); identification of coagulopathy |
| Fibrinogen | Decreased; identification of continued coagulopathy |
| D-dimer | Increased (in severe cases; in nonsurvivors); >1000 ng/mL: in severe cases; identification of continued consumption and thrombotic coagulopathy |
| Inflammatory Markers | |
| CRP | Increased (Higher in severe cases); > 10 × the upper limit of normal (N: <8 mg/L) |
| Erythrocyte sedimentation rate | Normal, increased |
| Ferritin | Increased (in severe cases); >500 µg/L (N: 10/30–200/300 µg/L) |
| Procalcitonin | Normal, Increased (In severe cases, secondary to bacterial pneumonia in ICU patients) |
| Il-6 | Increased (according to severity: >critical>severe>mild; cytokine storm) |
| Biochemistry tests | |
| Glucose | Increased (in severe cases); a marker of metabolic balance |
| BUN and creatinine | Increased (in severe cases); a marker of renal damage and failure |
| Electrolytes | Hyponatremia, hypokalemia (hyperkalemia in some patients), Hypocalcemia; a marker of metabolic balance |
| Albumin | Decreased (in severe cases; a marker of liver failure; associated with increased mortality) |
| ALT and AST | Increased (especially in ICU cases; usually as a result of cytokine storm or drug-induced liver injury) |
| Total Bilirubin | Increased (in severe cases and/or prolonged cases of hospitalization); as a result of liver injury |
| Lactate dehydrogenase | Increased (in severe cases, in ICU cases, in ARDS cases); >245 U /L in severe cases (N: 110–210 u/L); a marker of lung injury and tissue damage |
| Creatine phosphokinase | Increased in severe cases; > 2 × the upper limit of normal (N: 40–150 U/L) |
| Troponin T/I | Increased (in severe cases), > 2 x the upper limit of normal (N: 0–9/14 ng/L) |
| B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP/NT-proBNP): | Increased (in severe/critical cases) |
*Of these general laboratory features, the ones identified by us clinically are discussed in relevant sections above.