ABSTRACT
Background: Risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality (IHM) have been identified among patients with T2D hospitalized for COVID-19, including male sex, elderly, impaired renal function and poor metabolic control. At a local setting, data regarding the impact of these variables are lacking. Aim: To assess the association between risk factors and IHM in patients with T2D admitted for COVID-19. Methodology: This is a descriptive observational study. We used electronic health records data provided by a tertiary-level hospital in Chile, between April to July 2020. Included demographic, clinical, and laboratory variables of inpatients with T2D and a positive PCR for SARS-CoV-2. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of IHM. Results: We identified 200 individuals. Mean age was 63.0±13.6 years, 59.5% (n=119) were adults aged ≥60 years and 58% were male (n=116) . Mean admission glycemia and A1C were 216±120 mg/dl and 8.8±2.4%, respectively. Median admission serum creatinine was 0.8 mg/dL (p25-p75: 0.6-1.1 mg/dL) . A total of 38 patients (19%) died during hospitalization, of these 26.3% (n=10) died within the first week, 63.2% (n=24) between 2-4 weeks, and 10.5% (n=4) after the first month. Age ≥60 years (OR 2.9, 95%CI [1.3-6.7], p=0.01) and elevated admission serum creatinine (OR 1.28, 95%CI [1.04-1.58], p=0.01) were identified as independent predictors of IHM in multiple logistic regression analysis. No association was identified for sex, admission glycemia or A1C, however 37% of our sample lacked an A1C measurement, which could imply a bias. Conclusion: Our study confirms that older age and elevated admission serum creatinine are risk factors for IHM in patients with T2D hospitalized for COVID-19. These results reinforce the importance of identifying risk factors to improve outcomes related to COVID-during in-hospital stay of patients with T2D. We must promote A1C measurement at admission for all patients with diabetes or hyperglycemia.