On-Admission Anemia and Survival Rate in COVID-19 Patients

Background: Anemia often worsens the severity of respiratory illnesses, and few studies have so far elucidated the impact of anemia on COVID-19 infection. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of anemia at admission on the overall survival of COVID-19 patients using AFT models.Methods: This registry-based, single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted in a university hospital in Ilam, the southwest of Iran, between March 2020 and September 2021. AFT models were applied to set the data of 2,441 COVID-19 patients. Performance of AFT models was assessed using AIC and Cox-Snell residual. On-admission anemia was defined as Hb concentration <120 g/l in men, <110 g/l in women, and <100 g/l in pregnant women.Results: The median in-hospital survival times for anemic and non-anemic patients were 27 and 31 days, respectively. Based on the AIC and Cox-Snell residual graph, the Weibull model had the lowest AIC and it was the best fitted model to the data set among AFT models. In the adjusted model, the results of the Weibull model suggested that the anemia (adjusted TR: 1.04; 95% CI: 1.00-1.08; p = 0.03) was the accelerated factor for progression to death in COVID-19 patients. Each unit of increase in hemoglobin in COVID-19 patients enhanced the survival rate by 4%.Conclusion: Anemia is an independent risk factor associated with the risk of mortality from COVID-19 infection. Therefore, healthcare professionals should be more sensitive to the Hb level of COVID-19 patients upon admission.

Anemia and risk of Mortality in COVID-19 infection: Application of accelerated failure time models

Background: Anemia typically worsens the severity of respiratory illnesses, while few studies have so far elucidated the impact of anemia on COVID-19 infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of anemia at admission on overall survival in patients with COVID-19 infection using accelerated failure time models (AFT). Methods: This is a registry-based, single-center retrospective cohort study of in-patients COVID-19 infection between March 5, 2020, and September 10, 2021, in the university hospital in Ilam, southwest of Iran. In this study, AFT models are applied to the data set of 2441 COVID-19 patients. Performance among AFT models was assessed using Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC) and visual Cox-Snell residual. Hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations at admission <120 gr/l in men, <110 gr/l in women and <100gr/l in pregnant women were considered anemia. Results: The in-hospital median survival time for anemic and non-anemic patients was 27 and 31 days, respectively. AIC and Cox-Snell residual graph showed that the Weibull model had the lowest AIC and was the best-fitted model to the data set among AFT models. In the adjusted model, the results of the Weibull model showed that the anemia (adjusted Time Ratio;1.04, 95% CI: 1.00 - 1.08, P = 0.03), was the accelerated factor for progression to death in COVID-19 infection. Each additional unit Hb level was shown to increase the 4% survival rate in COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: anemia is an independent risk factor associated with mortality COVID-19 infection, and healthcare professionals should be more sensitive to the Hb levels of COVID-19 patients upon admission. Of great importance was awareness of anemia as a risk factor for mortality in COVID-19 patients.

Hypo- and Hyperphosphatemia at Admission as Independent Factors of Mortality of COVID-19 Patients: Findings from a Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Electrolyte imbalances are common in COVID-19 infection and are associated with poor outcomes in hospitalized patients. Objectives: This study examined whether serum phosphate imbalances at admission are associated with mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Methods: In this registry-based single-center retrospective cohort study, 1349 inpatients with COVID-19 were included from March 2020 to March 2021 in an academic hospital in Ilam (southwest Iran). The Cox proportional hazard (PH) regression model was applied to the data set of COVID-19. Results: The in-hospital median survival time for patients with low, normal, and high serum phosphate levels was 14, 25, and 8 days, respectively. In a multivariate model, adjusted for the other variables, patients with hypophosphatemia (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 2.53; 95% CI, 1.15 - 5.58; P = 0.02) and hyperphosphatemia (adjusted HR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.00 - 3.14; P = 0.05) had an increased mortality hazard compared with those who had normal levels of serum phosphate. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate associations of hypophosphatemia and hyperphosphatemia with increased in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients. Intensive medical care and more attention must be paid to COVID-19 patients with serum phosphate imbalances at admission.

Clinical Manifestations, Imaging Procedures and Laboratory Parameters among Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 in Ilam Province, Western Iran.

Background: COVID-19 is the last global threat which WHO confirmed it as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. In the Middle East, Iran was the first country where the SARS-Cov-2 was detected. The epidemiological and economic challenges of Iran make this country a particularly relevant subject of study. In the current study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical, radiological and laboratory findings in hospitalized COVID-19 confirmed cases in Ilam province, western of Iran. Methods: Overall, 2204 hospitalized RT-PCR confirmed patients with COVID-19 were considered in this study. Electronic medical records, including clinical symptoms, radiological images, laboratory findings, and the comorbidities of patients with COVID-19 were collected and analyzed. In addition, the medication regimens used in these patients were evaluated. The patients were classified in discharged and died groups according to their outcomes. Then, clinical, radiological and laboratory findings as well as treatment regimens and underlying diseases were compared in these two groups. Results: Among the patients, 1209 (54.85%) were male and 995 (45.14%) were female. Pneumonia, dyspnea and cough, were the most common clinical data in both discharged and died groups. Among the comorbidities, COPD, and cancer were significantly more common in the dead patients than in the living. The results of laboratory tests showed that blood creatinine, BUN, ESR, Na+, WBC, and neutrophil count have increased in deceased group compared to the survivors. However, the lymphocyte count decreased in deceased patients. The evaluation of radiographs demonstrated that there were significant correlations between bilateral pneumonia, ground glass opacity, bilateral patchy shadowing, and pleural effusion with death. Conclusion: The current investigation indicated the special profile of COVID-19 in west of Iran. Discharged and dead patients with COVID-19 had distinct clinical, radiological and laboratory features, which were separated by principal component analysis. Identifying these characteristics of the disease would translate into the implementation of practical measures to improve results.