Clinical characteristics and outcomes of vaccinated critical COVID-19 patients: A case series from a low middle-income country

ABSTRACT

Background: Vaccination plays an important role in the prevention of some infectious diseases but does it change the outcome in critically ill patients is obscure. Though vaccination leads to decreased emergency and hospital admission, still the vaccinated patients with severe diseases requiring intensive care are being reported. This case series reports the outcome of 20 critically ill patients admitted to the COVID Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Methodology: All vaccinated patients admitted to COVID-ICU at the University Hospital between January 2021 and June 2021 were reviewed. The demographics, comorbidities, vaccination status, systemic manifestations, organ support, complications, pharmacological therapy, outcome and length of ICU as well as hospital stay were recorded. To draw a comparison for all the demographics and clinical characteristics of patients, stratification analysis was performed for the outcome variables. Result(s) A total of 20 patients were included in the study among which only 7 (35%) survived. The mortality rate for patients over 60 was 84.6 %. Four of the patients had no comorbidities and all of them survived. Among the complications, acute kidney injury was the most common (70%). The median (IQR) ICU stay was 10 (7) days and hospital stay was 13.5 (11) days. Conclusion(s) The vaccinated patients admitted with COVID-19 ICU had a poor outcome and irrespective of the type of vaccine. The factors leading to increased mortality in this group of patients were male gender, age >= 60 years, and associated chronic medical illness. Copyright © 2022 Faculty of Anaesthesia, Pain and Intensive Care, AFMS. All rights reserved.