ABSTRACT
Background and purpose: Clinical epidemiology of deceased COVID-19 patients is of great importance in identifying the risk factors for mortality and controlling the pandemic. In this study, we studied the demographic and clinical characteristics of deceased COVID-19 patients in Sari Fatemeh Zahra Hospital, Iran, between March 2020 and February 2021. Materials and methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was performed by reviewing hospital records of deceased patients diagnosed with COVID-19 (n=214). Diagnosis of COVID-19 was confirmed on the basis of positive RT-PCR test and lung CT scan findings. Information about demographic and imaging characteristics, underlying diseases, and risk factors were collected. Data were analyzed in SPSS V25. Results: The mean age of deceased patients was 68.37 ± 14.1. The most common underlying diseases were hypertension(47.2%), cardiovascular disease (45.8%), and diabetes (40.7%). Abnormalities in lung imaging included peripheral lesions of ground glass in 149 (69.6%), ground glass with consolidation in 46 (21.4%), and crazy paving in 19 (9%) patients, respectively. There was no difference in mean age, sex, underlying diseases, and type of supportive care in patients who died during the epidemic waves of one to three. Conclusion: Underlying diseases were the most critical risk factors for the death of patients with COVID-19 and should be given special attention in assessing the need for hospitalization and treatment of these patients. It is also recommended to conduct a comprehensive study of deceased patients before and after vaccination to evaluate the final effects of general immunization.