Low diaphragm muscle mass predicts adverse outcome in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 pneumonia: an exploratory pilot study.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether measurement of diaphragm thickness (DT) by ultrasonography may be a clinically useful noninvasive method for identifying patients at risk of adverse outcomes defined as need of invasive mechanical ventilation or death.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 77 patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection admitted to our intermediate care unit in Pisa between March 5 and March 30, 2020, with follow-up until hospital discharge or death. Logistic regression was used identify variables potentially associated with adverse outcomes and those P<0.10 were entered into a multivariate logistic regression model. Cumulative probability for lack of adverse outcomes in patients with or without low baseline diaphragm muscle mass was calculated with the Kaplan-Meier product-limit estimator.

Results: The main findings of this study are that: 1) patients who developed adverse outcomes had thinner diaphragm than those who did not (2.0 vs. 2.2 mm, P=0.001); and 2) DT and lymphocyte count were independent significant predictors of adverse outcomes, with end-expiratory DT being the strongest (ß=-708; OR=0.492; P=0.018).

Conclusions: Diaphragmatic ultrasound may be a valid tool to evaluate the risk of respiratory failure. Evaluating the need of mechanical ventilation treatment should be based not only on PaO2/FiO2, but on a more comprehensive assessment including DT because if the lungs become less compliant a thinner diaphragm, albeit free of intrinsic abnormality, may become exhausted, thus contributing to severe respiratory failure.