Fecal occult blood and urinary cytology tests for rapid screening of inflammatory infection in the gastrointestinal and urological systems in patients with Coronavirus disease 2019

Background Gastrointestinal infections (GI) and urological infections (UI) have not been fully addressed in COVID-19 patients. We aimed to evaluate the values of routine fecal occult blood (FOB) test and urinary cytology test (UCT) for screening of GI and UI in COVID-19 patients. Methods In this retrospective study, COVID-19 patients without associated comorbidities were divided into FOB- or UCT-positive or FOB- or UCT-negative groups. Their clinical characteristics and laboratory findings were then compared. Results A total of 13.6% of patients (47 of 345) tested positive for FOB, and 57.4% (27 of 47) of these patients lacked gastrointestinal symptoms. A total of 30.1% of patients (104 of 345) exhibited gastrointestinal symptoms, and 38.0% (131 of 345) were positive for either FOB or gastrointestinal symptoms. FOB-positive patients possessed significantly higher levels of C-reactive protein and fewer lymphocytes than FOB-negative patients. A total of 36.9% of patients (80 of 217) exhibited positive UCT, and 97.5% (78 of 80) of these patients possessed normal levels of serum markers for renal injuries. Significant differences in age and sex ratios were observed between the UCT-positive and UCT-negative groups, and 72.4% (42 of 58) of female patients over 60 years old were UCT-positive. Conclusions Fecal occult blood test in combination with gastrointestinal symptoms could serve as a simple and useful screening approach for GI diagnoses for COVID-19. Age and sex are risk factors for UI in COVID-19 patients. UCT could be a sensitive tool for assessing early UI at a stage in which serum markers for renal injuries appear normal.

Automated summary

This study found that a fecal occult blood test combined with gastrointestinal symptoms could serve as a simple and effective screening approach for diagnosing GI in COVID-19 patients. Additionally, age and sex were identified as risk factors for UI in COVID-19 patients. Urinary cytology test may be a sensitive tool for assessing early UI when serum markers for renal injuries appear normal.