COVID-19 in sub-intensive care unit: An italian single-center experience along the three epidemic waves

ABSTRACT

The goal was to characterize COVID-19 patients who needed treatment in Sub-Intensive Care Units (SICUs) for hypoxemic respiratory failure, describe their six-month mortality, and identify clinical and laboratory characteristics that were associated with death. Data from 216 consecutive patients admitted to the COVID-SICU of Turin's San Giovanni Bosco Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. A total of 216 patients (24.5% of whom were female) were enrolled. The average age was 63 +/- 11.9 years. In the three waves, the six-month mortality rate was 32.8%, 35.1%, and 26.6%, respectively (p=0.52). The mortality rate was significantly higher in intubated patients compared to those not requiring intubation (60.8% versus 29.9%, p<0.01). On admission, deceased patients were older (69 +/- 7.7 versus 60.2 +/- 12.6 y.o., p<0.01), with a higher prevalence of dyslipidemia, coronary artery disease, chronic heart failure, and higher serum creatinine. However, only age was predictive of death at multivariate analysis (OR 5.29, p<0.01), with 63 years old as the best cut-point. At six months, mortality in COVID patients managed in a SICU is around 30%. Age is a significant negative prognostic factor, with 63 years of age being the best predicting cut-off.