Multisystemic Complications Associated with COVID-19 in a South Indian Intensive Care Unit: A Retrospective Observational Study

ABSTRACT

Aim and background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a systemic disease with multi organ involvement and its systemic complications have varied effects ranging from mild to life threatening events affecting survival and increasing the overall morbidity and mortality. Objectives: To determine the incidence, association, and risk factors complicating coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Materials and methods: The study was conducted on 350 patients who are admitted to Meenakshi mission hospital and research centre, Madurai (TN) between 1 April 2021 and 15 September 2021. Adult patients aged 18 years and above with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were included in this study. The primary outcome of this study was the incidence of complications, defined as organ-specific diagnoses occurring alone or in addition to any hallmarks of COVID-19 illness. We used multilevel logistic regression and survival models to explore associations between these outcomes and in-hospital complications, age, and preexisting comorbidities. Results: Among the 350 recruited patients, 304 patients were analyzed. Of the patients admitted to the hospital almost 40.1% had at least one complication. The mean age of the study population was 60 (±5) years with males being 68.5% and females being 32.5% of the study population. The incidence of complications were complex respiratory complications 52.2%, cardiovascular complications 21.6%, renal complications 11.2%, neurological complications 9%, and gastrointestinal complications 6%. Conclusion: Male sex, respiratory distress, comorbidities, lethargy, immunosuppression, and long disease duration are critical risk factors for the development of complications associated with COVID-19.