Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 mortality in Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the clinical and epidemiological characteristics for 224 of in-hospital coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality cases. This study's clinical implications provide insight into the significant death indicators among COVID-19 patients and the outbreak burden on the healthcare system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). METHODS: A multi-center retrospective cross-sectional study conducted among all COVID-19 mortality cases admitted to 15 Armed Forces hospitals across KSA, from March to July 2020. Demographic data, clinical presentations, laboratory investigations, and complications of COVID-19 mortality cases were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: The mean age was 69.66±14.68 years, and 142 (63.4%) of the cases were male. Overall, 30% of the COVID-19 mortalities occurred in the first 24 hours of hospital admission, while 50% occurred on day 10. The most prevalent comorbidities were diabetes mellitus (DM, 73.7%), followed by hypertension (HTN, 69.6%). Logistic regression for risk factors in all mortality cases revealed that direct mortality cases from COVID-19 were more likely to develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (odds ratio [OR]: 1.75, confidence intervel [CI: 0.89-3.43]; p=0.102) and acute kidney injury (OR: 1.01, CI: [0.54-1.90]; p=0.960). CONCLUSION: Aging, male gender and the high prevalence of the underlying diseases such as, DM and HTN were a significant death indicators among COVID-19 mortality cases in KSA. Increases in serum ferritin, procalcitonin, C-reactive protein (CRP), and D-dimer levels can be used as indicators of disease progression.

Epidemiological characteristics of fall injuries and their related outcome in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A descriptive study from a Level-I trauma center.

BACKGROUND: Falls are the leading cause of admissions for trauma emergency in Saudi Arabia. However, the scarcity of evidence of what the burden of falls is locally limits the understanding of the underlying risk factors and hinders planning of effective prevention. The objective of this study was to describe patients' characteristics and health outcomes after hospital admissions as a result of a fall injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted using a trauma registry from a level-I trauma center in Riyadh. All patients admitted as a result of a fall between 2001 and 2018 were included (n = 4825). Variables included were demographics, mechanism of fall, length of hospital stay, surgery, intensive care unit admission, intubation rate, and severity of the injury. For continuous variables, means and standard deviations were calculated, whereas, frequencies and proportions were used to describe categorical. RESULTS: Majority of the patients (63.6%) were male and about 39% of the sample were children. The most common mechanism of falls was standing (52.6%) followed by slipping (23.0%). Overall, limb fractures were the most common injury (73.3%). While upper limb fractures were more common in children (44.5%; P < 0.01), lower limb fractures were more prevalent among the older patients (70.2%; P < 0.01). Fall injuries in the elderly were significantly associated with higher mortality (3.5%; P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: This study highlights the significant burden fall injuries impose on population health. Prevention programs may use these findings to guide and tailor interventions for specific age groups. Furthermore, this study underlines the need for a national recording system for injuries to guide policymakers in evidence-based decisions.