Death is twice as likely for vertebral fracture patients with COVID-19, according to an Oct. 21 study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Radiology Business reports.
Clinicians in Italy analyzed X-rays from 114 patients with the virus, detecting vertebral fractures in more than 35 percent.
The patients with vertebral fractures were generally older, more likely to need a ventilator and twice as likely to die compared to those without spinal issues. The mortality rate was higher for those with severe fractures.
Vertebral fractures can influence cardiorespiratory function and disease outcomes, acting as an "easy-to-measure clinical marker of fragility and poor prognosis," according to researchers.
They recommend that a thoracic X-ray be performed in all COVID-19 patients at hospital admission.