ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Knowledge about clinical features of critically ill patients with COVID-19 still lacks adequate information up to now. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to describe and compare the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of critically ill patients with COVID-19 in Rasoul Akram Hospital. METHODS: In this case series, 70 critically ill patients with COVID-19 admitted in ICU wards of Rasoul Akram Hospital, Tehran, Iran, from 29 February to 25 April 2020 were enrolled. Demographic and clinical characteristics, laboratory data, and outcomes of the patients were all collected and compared between deceased and recovered patients. RESULTS: Fifty-six cases had died of COVID-19, and 14 patients had fully recovered and discharged. The median age of the patients was 68 years old, ranging from 22 to 91 years, 66% were men, 80% had one or more comorbidities, and hypertension was the most common comorbidities (45% of deceased cases). The most common signs and symptoms at the onset of illness were SPO2 depression (92%) and dyspnea (90%). Dyspnea was significantly more common in deceased patients (95%) than recovered patients (70%) (P = 0.048). Most patients had lymphopenia (80%). The number of patients who needed mechanical ventilation in the deceased patients was 53 (95%), which was significantly more than the recovered patients (10 [70%]) (P = 0.048). CONCLUSIONS: The mortality rate of critically ill patients with COVID-19 is very high, and the patients with dyspnea and required mechanical ventilation are at higher risk for death.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the outbreak of COVID-19 constituted a public health emergency of global concern. OBJECTIVES: Owing to limited data on critically ill patients admitted to ICU, we aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and prognosis of these patients based on ventilatory variables and clinical features. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 45 critically ill patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who were admitted to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) wards of the hospital from April 8 to May 9, 2020, were enrolled. Medical files of the patients were reviewed, and demographic and clinical characteristics, laboratory data, lung CT scan findings, causes of intubation, and outcomes of the patients were all collected. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 67 years (range 22 to 91), 64% were men, and hypertension was the most common comorbidity. History of close contact with previously confirmed patients was positive in 62.2% of the patients. The mean time from symptom onset to hospital admission was 5.98 ± 2.93 days. The most common symptoms at the onset of illness were dyspnea (95.6%), and gastrointestinal symptoms (22.2%) were rare. The average length of the intubation was 4.84 ± 3.28 days. The distribution of intubation causes in the deceased patients was significantly more than the recovered patients (P = 0.031). The mean score of lung CT involvement in deaths (370.26 ± 207.50) was significantly higher than the recovered patients (235.71 ± 81.21) (P = 0.042). Length of the intubation had a statistically direct correlation with respiratory rate (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Most of the critically ill patients admitted to ICU were older men and had poor outcomes with a high mortality rate. Furthermore, the score of chest CT involvement and respiratory rate are important prognostic factors in determining the severity of the illness, requiring ventilatory support, and outcome.
