Prevalence and clinical significance of relative bradycardia at hospital admission in patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

A, Oliva; C, Franchi; MC, Gatto; G, Galardo; F, Pugliese; CM, Mastroianni

The clinical relevance of relative bradycardia in patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been poorly investigated. We evaluated the prevalence and clinical significance of relative bradycardia at hospital admission in patients with COVID-19 in a retrospective single-center study including all adult patients with confirmed COVID-19. Relative bradycardia was observed in 41.6% of patients presenting with COVID-19 and fever. Patients with relative bradycardia were older and with higher body temperature than patients without relative bradycardia. No statistical differences were observed between the two groups as for Intensive Care Unit admission and in-hospital mortality. Relative bradycardia is a common feature of COVID-19. The presence of relative bradycardia at admission was not associated with worseoutcomes.