ABSTRACT
Hypoxemia is a hallmark of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity. We sought to determine predictors of hypoxemia and related adverse outcomes among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the two largest hospitals in Jerusalem, Israel, from 9 March through 16 July 2020. Patients were categorized as those who developed reduced (<94%) vs. preserved (≥94%) arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) within the first 48 h after arrival to the emergency department. Overall, 492 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with reduced SpO2 were significantly older, had more comorbidities, higher body surface area (BSA) and body mass index (BMI), lower lymphocyte counts, impaired renal function, and elevated liver enzymes, c-reactive protein (CRP), and D-dimer levels as compared to those with preserved SpO2. In the multivariable regression analysis, older age (odds ratio (OR) 1.02 per year, p < 0.001), higher BSA (OR 1.16 per 0.10 m2, p = 0.003) or BMI (OR 1.05 per 1 kg/m2, p = 0.011), lower lymphocyte counts (OR 1.72 per 1 × 103/µL decrease, p = 0.002), and elevated CRP (1.11 per 1 mg/dL increase, p < 0.001) were found to be independent predictors of low SpO2. Severe hypoxemia requiring ventilatory support, older age, and pre-existing comorbidities, including underlying renal dysfunction and heart failure, were found to be significantly associated with in-hospital mortality. These findings suggest that assessment of predictors of hypoxemia early at the time of hospitalization with COVID-19 may be helpful in risk stratification and management.