Association between right ventricular dysfunction and mortality in COVID‐19 patients: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

There is limited evidence about the prognostic utility of right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). We assessed the association between RVD and mortality in COVID‐19 patients. We searched electronic databases from inception to February 15, 2021. RVD was defined based on the following echocardiographic variables: tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), tricuspid S′ peak systolic velocity, fractional area change (FAC), and right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain (RVFWLS). All meta‐analyses were performed using a random‐effects model. Nineteen cohort studies involving 2307 patients were included. The mean age ranged from 59 to 72 years and 65% of patients were male. TAPSE (mean difference [MD], −3.13 mm; 95% confidence interval [CI], −4.08–−2.19), tricuspid S′ peak systolic velocity (MD, −0.88 cm/s; 95% CI, −1.68 to −0.08), FAC (MD, −3.47%; 95% CI, −6.21 to −0.72), and RVFWLS (MD, −5.83%; 95% CI, −7.47–−4.20) were significantly lower in nonsurvivors compared to survivors. Each 1 mm decrease in TAPSE (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.22; 95% CI, 1.08–1.37), 1% decrease in FAC (aHR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.04–1.14), and 1% increase in RVFWLS (aHR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.19–1.48) were independently associated with higher mortality. RVD was significantly associated with higher mortality using unadjusted risk ratio (2.05; 95% CI, 1.27–3.31), unadjusted hazard ratio (3.37; 95% CI, 1.72–6.62), and adjusted hazard ratio (aHR, 2.75; 95% CI, 1.52–4.96). Our study shows that echocardiographic parameters of RVD were associated with an increased risk of mortality in COVID‐19 patients.