ABSTRACT
Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a multisystem disease that primarily involves the respiratory tract. The first case of COVID-19 was identified in late 2019 in the province of Wuhan, China, which was followed by the rapid spread of the disease globally, becoming a present-day pandemic. Objectives The aim of this study is to describe the clinical characteristics, comorbidities, and outcomes of critically sick patients with COVID-19 pneumonia admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore, from March 2021 to August 2021. A total of 133 patients were chosen for this retrospective cohort study. Results There was a total of 133 patients, out of which 65 (48.9%) were male and 68 (51.1%) were female. Of these 133 patients, 70 (52.6%) were discharged home after recovery and 63 (47.4%) died; 96 (72.2%) patients had diabetes mellitus and of these, 53 (55.2%) patients died and 43 (44.8%) were discharged, 94 (70.7%) patients had hypertension, out of which 53 (56.4%) died and 41 (43.6%) were discharged home, 40 (30.1%) patients had ischemic heart disease (IHD), out of which 28 (70%) died and 12 (30%) were discharged. A total of 48 (36.1%) patients needed invasive positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) and 78 (58.6%) patients required noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV). Conclusion Patients with one or more underlying co-morbidities had poor clinical outcomes compared to those with no co-morbidities, with the most vulnerable group being patients with Ischemic heart disease, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus in descending order.
ABSTRACT
Background The first case of infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was diagnosed in Wuhan, China, in 2019. By the first half of 2020, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) turned into a global pandemic. Objectives The aim of this study is to describe the clinical and demographic characteristics including comorbidities and their outcomes among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in four tertiary care hospitals across Lahore. This retrospective study was conducted at Fatima Memorial Hospital, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore General Hospital, and Jinnah Hospital, all in Lahore, Pakistan, from May 1, 2020, to June 30, 2020. The sample size was 445, which was derived using the convenient sampling method. Clinical outcomes during hospitalization included the requirement of invasive positive pressure ventilation, need for renal replacement therapy (RRT), and death. Data regarding demographics, baseline comorbidities, important vital signs on reporting, and initial workup with results were also collected. Results A total of 445 patients' data were studied, of whom 291 (65.4%) were male patients and 154 (34.6%) female patients. The median age was 54 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 24). The most common comorbidities were hypertension (HTN) (195; 43.8%) followed by diabetes mellitus (DM) (168; 37.8%) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) (61; 13.7%). The median length of hospital stay was eight days (IQR: 3). Of the total patients, 137 (30.7%) were treated in intensive care unit settings, 40 (9%) received invasive mechanical ventilation, 40 (9%) patients had acute kidney injury, 38 (8.5%) received RRT, and 37 (8.3%) died. It was seen that more patients who were either diabetic or hypertensive received invasive mechanical ventilation as compared to those who did not have these comorbidities. The most common radiological finding on chest X-ray was the classical ground-glass appearance of COVID-19, which was found in 318 (71.4%) patients. Conclusions Patients with one or more underlying comorbidities had poor clinical outcomes compared to those with no comorbidities, with the most vulnerable group being patients with chronic kidney disease, DM, HTN, and CVD in descending order.
