ECE2020 Audio ePoster Presentations Hot topics (including COVID-19) (110 abstracts)
Adrenal insufficiency at the time of COVID-19: A retrospective study
Giulia Carosi 1,2 , Valentina Morelli 1 , Giulia Del Sindaco 1,3 , Arianna Cremaschi 1,3 , Sofia Frigerio 1,3 , Giulia Rodari 1,3 , Rita Indirli 1,3 , Andreea Liliana Serban 1,2 , Eriselda Profka 3 , Roberta Mungari 1 , Veronica Resi 1 , Emanuela Orsi 1 , Emanuele Ferrante 1 , Alessia Dolci 1 , Claudia Giavoli 1,3 , Maura Arosio 1,3 & Giovanna Mantovani 1,3
1Endocrinology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; 2Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; 3Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Italy
Background: COVID-19 represents a global health emergency and infected patients with chronic diseases often present a severe impairment. Adrenal insufficiency (AI) is supposed to be associated with an increased risk of infections which could trigger adrenal crisis. Our primary aim was to evaluate the incidence of COVID-19 symptoms and complications in AI patients.
Materials and methods: We conducted a retrospective case-control study, in 279 patients with primary and secondary AI and 112 controls. By administering a standardized questionnaire by phone, we collected data on COVID-19 suggestive symptoms and consequences. As symptoms we included fever, cough, myalgia, fatigue, dyspnea, gastrointestinal symptoms, conjunctivitis, anosmia, ageusia, upper respiratory tracts symptoms, thoracic pain, headaches and otalgia. Controls were represented by patients with benign pituitary non-functioning lesions, without hormonal alterations. All patients were on active follow-up and lived in Lombardy, one of the most affected territory. All AI patients had been previously trained to modify their replacement therapy on stress doses.
Results: AI and controls’ characteristics (age, sex distribution, smoking and working habit) were comparable. In February-April 2020, the prevalence of symptomatic patients (complaining at least one symptom of viral infection) was similar between the two groups (24% in AI and 22.3% in controls, P = 0.788). Highly suggestive COVID-19 symptoms (at least two including fever and/or cough) also occurred equally in AI and controls (12.5% in both groups). No patient required hospitalization and no adrenal crisis was reported. In about 30% of symptomatic AI patients, replacement therapy was correctly increased. Few nasopharyngeal swabs were performed (n = 12) as indicated by sanitary regulations, limiting conclusions on the exact infection rate (positive result in 0.7% of AI patients and 0% of controls, P = 0.515).
Conclusion: AI patients who are adequately treated and trained, seem to display the same incidence of COVID-19 suggestive symptoms and disease severity as controls.
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Endocrine Abstracts
ISSN 1470-3947 (print) | ISSN 1479-6848 (online)
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