ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: COVID-19-related organ dysfunction is increasingly recognized as sepsis of viral origin and is a common complication among those requiring hospitalization, with estimated prevalence of over 50% among the latter. However, the population-level association of COVID-19 with short-term mortality among septic patients is unknown. METHOD(S): We used a statewide dataset to identify hospitalizations aged >=18 years with sepsis in Texas during April 1-December 31, 2020. Sepsis was defined by "explicit" and ICD-10 codes for severe sepsis (R65.20) and septic shock (R65.21) and COVID-19 by ICD-10 code U07.1. A hierarchical, mixed-effects model was fit to estimate the association of COVID-19 with short-term mortality (defined as in-hospital death or discharge to hospice) among sepsis hospitalizations. Sensitivity analyses of the sepsis hospitalization subsets with septic shock and ICU admission were performed using a similar modeling approach. RESULT(S): Among 55,145 sepsis hospitalizations, 13,149 (23.8%) had COVID-19. Compared to those without COVID-19, sepsis hospitalizations with COVID-19 were younger (aged >=65 years 53.6% vs 55.0%), more commonly male (59.5% vs 50.4%) and racial/ethnic minority (66.1% vs. 46.2%), with lower burden of chronic illness (mean [SD] Charlson comorbidity index 1.8 [1.9] vs 2.8 [2.6]), but with higher mean [SD] number of organ dysfunctions (3.1 [1.4] vs 2.7 [1.6]) [p < 0.0001 for all comparisons]. Short-term mortality among sepsis hospitalizations with and without COVID-19 was 52.7% vs 30.2%, respectively. On adjusted analysis, COVID-19 remained associated with higher risk of short-term mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.54 [95% 2.39-2.70]), with findings on sensitivity analyses consistent with the primary model among sepsis hospitalization subsets with septic shock ([aOR] 2.70 [95% 2.51-2.91]) and ICU admission ([aOR] 2.67 [95% 2.30-3.10]). CONCLUSION(S): COVID-19 infection was associated with over 250% higher odds of short-term mortality among septic patients. Additional studies are needed to determine the mechanisms underlying these observations in order to inform future efforts to reduce the observed outcome disparities.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The adverse impact of comorbid conditions on the development of severe illness and risk of death among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 has been well-documented. However, the population-level epidemiology and outcomes of previously healthy [PH] adults compared to those with prior comorbidities [PC] among COVID-19 patients requiring ICU admission are unknown. METHOD(S): We used a statewide dataset to identify hospitalizations aged >=18 years with ICU admission and a diagnosis of COVID-19 in Texas during April 1-December 31, 2020. COVID-19 was defined by ICD-10 code U07.1. PH was defined as absence of the comorbidities included in the Charlson Comorbidity Index, and of obesity, malnutrition, mental disorders, and substance and alcohol use disorders. A hierarchical, mixed-effects model was fit to estimate the association of PH with short-term mortality (defined as in-hospital death or discharge to hospice) among ICU admissions. A similar approach was used to identify predictors of short-term mortality among the PH group. RESULT(S): Among 58,845 ICU admissions with COVID-19, 6,760 (11.6%) were PH. Compared to those with PC, those with PH were younger (aged >=65 years 36.1% vs 49.4%), more commonly racial/ethnic minority (63.8% vs 61.5%), and with lower mean [SD] number of organ dysfunctions (1.2 [1.1] vs 1.8 [1.4]) [p< 0.001 for all comparisons]. Short-term mortality was lower among PH than among PC (16.4% vs 25.0%). However, following adjustment for confounders, the risk of short-term mortality was higher among PH (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.37 [95% CI 1.25-1.51]). Among PH ICU admissions, short-term mortality increased with age ([aOR] 35.20 [95% CI 22.09-56.09];>=65 vs 18-44 years) and management at facilities with >=50 ICU beds ([aOR] 4.43 [95% CI 1.07-18.32] vs < 10 ICU beds). CONCLUSION(S): PH was uncommon among critically ill adults with COVID-19 and PH patients had substantially lower short-term mortality than those with PC. However, once risk-adjusted, the odds of short-term mortality were, unexpectedly, 37% higher among PH, with the latter facing higher risk of death when managed at hospitals with higher number of ICU beds. Additional studies are needed to identify the patient-, care process-, and health system-related contributors to these findings.