A new study published in Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice by King’s College, London, for the first time identified the risk associated with diabetic retinopathy and Covid-19. It suggests that diabetic people with eye disease have a five-fold increased risk of requiring intubation when hospitalised with COVID-19.
Intubation is the process of inserting a tube, called an endotracheal tube (ET), through the mouth and then into the airway. This is done so that a patient can be placed on a ventilator to assist with breathing during anaesthesia, sedation, or severe illness.
Retinopathy is a common complication in diabetic people and is caused by damage to the small blood vessels in the eye. The study investigated 187 people with diabetes (179 with type 2 diabetes and eight with type 1 diabetes) hospitalised with Covid-19 at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust between March 12 and April 7, 2020.
Diabetic retinopathy was reported in 67 (36%) patients, the majority with background retinopathy. Of the 187 patients hospitalised with severe Covid-19, 26% were intubated and 45% of these patients had retinopathy. Retinopathy was associated with a five-fold increased risk for intubation. Senior author, Dr Janaka Karalliedde from King’s College London, said, “There is increasing evidence that there is significant damage to the blood vessels in the lungs and other organs in patients hospitalised with severe Covid-19. People with diabetes are at high risk of vascular complications affecting the large and small blood vessels.”
