Conclusions
Changes in skin microcirculation in patients with critical COVID-19 indicate that the infection induces a systemic microvascular impairment with persisting long-term effects on the microvascular function.
Results
Patients with critical COVID-19 had higher basal skin perfusion during both the acute (34 ± 9 perfusion unit; p = 0.0003) and the postinfectious phase (29 ± 8 perfusion unit; p = 0.04), compared with noncoronavirus disease controls (23 ± 7 perfusion unit). In addition, endothelial-dependent and endothelial-independent vasodilation were reduced in patients with critical COVID-19 during the acute disease phase (p < 0.001 for both), whereas no significant differences between patients and controls were found during the postinfectious phase. In patients with severe COVID-19, basal skin perfusion and endothelial-dependent vasodilatation were not significantly changed, whereas endothelial-independent vasodilatation was reduced (p = 0.02) compared with controls. Conclusions: Changes in skin microcirculation in patients with critical COVID-19 indicate that the infection induces a systemic microvascular impairment with persisting long-term effects on the microvascular function.