ABSTRACT
Introduction: during the global COVID-19 pandemic, non-invasive ventilation has become a widely utilized method for treating patients experiencing acute respiratory failure. Noninvasive pressure ventilation is frequently employed as a standard approach for managing acute respiratory failure resulting from COVID-19 pneumonia, as opposed to invasive ventilation methods. However, there is a lack of research on its effectiveness. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the risk of mortality among COVID-19 patients receiving non-invasive ventilation. Methods: a multi-centric retrospective cross sectional study was conducted on the records of 402 patients at the Eka Kotebe COVID-19 Center, St. Peter COVID-19 Care Center, and Millennium COVID-19 Treatment Center. The systematic random selection technique was employed in order to select the study unit, and data was extracted from patient charts using a pretested method and validated before being entered into Epi-data Manager 4.6 versions. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariable analyses were performed using binary logistic regression in SPSS 25. In the multivariate logistic regression, a predictor variable was considered to have a significant connection if its p-value was less than 0.05 at a 95% confidence level. Results: four hundred and two patient records were reviewed during the study period and showed the mean patient´s age was 62.6 years, with male predominance. It revealed that 11.7% [CI: 8.7-15.2] of COVID-19 patients who received non-invasive positive pressure ventilation died, as being critical for COVID-19 patients was a main cause of noninvasive initiation. Patients over the age of 60 were more likely to die among those who received noninvasive ventilation for COVID-19 [AOR = 5.4 95% CI 1.32, 23.1]. Conversely, patients without diabetes were less likely to die [AOR = 0.23 95% CI 0.11, 0.48]. Moreover, patients with a tidal volume greater than 500 ml were more likely to pass away [AOR =2.2 95% CI 1.11,4.43], as were those who were on non-invasive ventilation (NIV) for more than 8 days [AOR = 0.24 95% CI.08, 0.81]. Conclusion: the significance of patients who were given non-invasive ventilators ended up dying. Age, diabetes, and high tidal volumes are linked to a higher risk of death. Non-invasive ventilation for over eight days showed a protective effect. Removing factors that caused NIV and ventilated COVID-19 patients' deaths may reduce mortality.