Features of COVID-19 infection among patients with hematological malignancies

ABSTRACT

Background: COVID-19 infection can be especially severe in certain risk populations such as patients with hematologic malignancies. Aim(s) To describe the characteristics and clinical outcomes of a population of patients with hematologic malignancies and COVID-19. Material(s) and Method(s) Review of medical records of patients with COVID-19 and hematologic malignancies, treated in Hematology Service of a regional hospital in Chile, between April 1 and October 30, 2020. Demographic characteristics, chronic comorbidities and clinical characteristics related to the underlying disease and COVID-19 infection were recorded. Result(s) Thirty adults aged 17 to 73 years (67% men) with COVID-19 confirmed by RT-PCR, were evaluated. Forty percent had comorbidities, mainly hypertension (30%), obesity (27%) and diabetes (10%). Two thirds of cases came from a nosocomial outbreak and 77% were symptomatic. Half of the cases had mild disease and 20% required mechanical ventilation. Five patients (17%) died from COVID 19. Female sex, the presence of comorbidities and obesity were more common among deceased patients. Only 1 of 5 deceased patients were in complete remission. No differences were found in the mean survival according to requirement for intubation or the presence of complete remission. Conclusion(s) This population with hematologic malignancies and COVID-19 had special characteristics leading to a greater fatality rate which, in this series, does not increase with the use of mechanical ventilation. Copyright © 2022 Sociedad Medica de Santiago. All rights reserved.