ABSTRACT
ObjectivesTo determine the case fatality rates and death risk factors. DesignRetrospective case series. SettingA COVID-19 ward of a secondary Hospital in Wuhan, China. ParticipantsConsecutively hospitalized COVID-19 patients between Jan 3, 2020 and Feb 27, 2020. Outcomes were followed up to discharge or death. ResultsOf 121 patients included, 66 (54.6%) were males. The median age was 59 (IQR: 46 to 67) years, and hypertension (33 patients; 27.3%) the leading comorbidity. Lymphopenia (83 of 115 patients; 72.2%) frequently occurred and then normalized on day 4 (IQR: 3 to 6) after admission in the survivors, with lung lesion absorbed gradually on day 8 (IQR: 6 to10) after onset (33 of 57 patients; 57.9%). The real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays for SARS-CoV-2 were positive in 78 (78/108; 72.2%) patients, and a false-negative RT-PCR occurred in 15 (13.9%) patients. Hypoxemia occurred in 94 (94/117; 80.3%) patients, and supplemental oxygen was given in 88 (72.7%) patients, and mon-invasive or invasive ventilation in 20 (16.5%) cases. Corticosteroid use might link to death. The case fatality rates were 4.4% (one of 23 patients), 29.3% (12/41), 22.8% (13/57) or 45% (9/20) for patients with moderate, severe, critical illness or on ventilator. The length of hospital stay was 14 (IQR: 10 to 20) days, and selfcare ability worsened in 21 patients (21/66; 31.8%) cases. Patients over 60 years were most likely to have poorer outcomes, and increasing in age by one-year increased risk for death by 18% (CI: 1.04-1.32). ConclusionsIn management of patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia, especially the elderly with hypertension, close monitoring and appropriate supportive treatment should be taken earlier and aggressively to prevent from developing severe or critical illness. Corticosteroid use might link to death. Repeated RT-PCR tests or novel detection methods for SARS-CoV-2 should be adopted to improve diagnostic efficiency. Strengths and limitations of this study[tpltrtarr] Eight case series reported mortality of 6.2% to 61.5% in COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, China. However, outcomes were inadequately followed and the risk factors for death unrevealed. [tpltrtarr]The case fatality rates were 4.4%, 29.3%, 22.8% or 45% for patients with moderate, severe, critical illness or on ventilator. [tpltrtarr]Age was the independent factor for death, and an increase by one-year increased risk for death by 18% (odds ratio: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.04-1.32; P < .01). [tpltrtarr]Case fatality rates calculated might be affected by small patient subset size and non-prospective data collection.
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BackgroundSystemic corticosteroids are recommended by some treatment guidelines and used in severe and critical COVID-19 patients, though evidence supporting such use is limited. MethodsFrom December 26, 2019 to March 15, 2020, 1514 severe and 249 critical hospitalized COVID-19 patients were collected from two medical centers in Wuhan, China. We performed multivariable Cox models, Cox model with time-varying exposure and propensity score analysis (both inverse-probability-of-treatment-weighting (IPTW) and propensity score matching (PSM)) to estimate the association of corticosteroid use with the risk of in-hospital mortality among severe and critical cases. ResultsCorticosteroids were administered in 531 (35.1%) severe and 159 (63.9%) critical patients. Compared to no corticosteroid use group, systemic corticosteroid use showed no benefit in reducing in-hospital mortality in both severe cases (HR=1.77, 95% CI: 1.08-2.89, p=0.023), and critical cases (HR=2.07, 95% CI: 1.08-3.98, p=0.028). In the time-varying Cox analysis that with time varying exposure, systemic corticosteroid use still showed no benefit in either population (for severe patients, HR=2.83, 95% CI: 1.72-4.64, p<0.001; for critical patients, HR=3.02, 95% CI: 1.59-5.73, p=0.001). Baseline characteristics were matched after IPTW and PSM analysis. For severe COVID-19 patients at admission, corticosteroid use was not associated with improved outcome in either the IPTW analysis. For critical COVID-19 patients at admission, results were consistent with former analysis that corticosteroid use did not reduce in-hospital mortality. ConclusionsCorticosteroid use showed no benefit in reducing in-hospital mortality for severe or critical cases. The routine use of systemic corticosteroids among severe and critical COVID-19 patients was not recommended.
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BackgroundSince the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease (COVID-19) outbreaks in Wuhan, China, healthcare systems capacities in highly endemic areas have been overwhelmed. Approaches to efficient management are urgently needed and key to a quicker control of the outbreaks and casualties. We aimed to characterize the clinical features of hospitalized patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, and develop a mortality risk index for COVID-19 patients. MethodsIn this retrospective one-centre cohort study, we included all the confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients hospitalized in a COVID-19-designated hospital from January 21 to February 5, 2020. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, radiological and clinical outcome data were collected from the hospital information system, nursing records and laboratory reports. ResultsOf 577 patients with at least one post-admission evaluation, the median age was 55 years (interquartile range [IQR], 39 - 66); 254 (44.0%) were men; 22.8% (100/438) were severe pneumonia on admission, and 37.7% (75/199) patients were SARS-CoV-2 positive. The clinical, laboratory and radiological data were comparable between positive and negative SARS-CoV-2 patients. During a median follow-up of 8.4 days (IQR, 5.8 - 12.0), 39 patients died with a 12-day cumulative mortality of 8.7% (95% CI, 5.9% to 11.5%). A simple mortality risk index (called ACP index), composed of Age and C-reactive Protein, was developed. By applying the ACP index, patients were categorized into three grades. The 12-day cumulative mortality in grade three (age [≥] 60 years and CRP [≥] 34 mg/L) was 33.2% (95% CI, 19.8% to 44.3%), which was significantly higher than those of grade two (age [≥] 60 years and CRP < 34 mg/L; age < 60 years and CRP [≥] 34 mg/L; 5.6% [95% CI, 0 to 11.3%]) and grade one (age < 60 years and CRP < 34 mg/L, 0%) (P <0.001), respectively. ConclusionThe ACP index can predict COVID-19 related short-term mortality, which may be a useful and convenient tool for quickly establishing a COVID-19 hierarchical management system that can greatly reduce the medical burden and therefore mortality in highly endemic areas.
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Objective To evaluate the effects of reserved jejunal feeding tube during postoperative chemotherapy of gastric cancer. Methods Forty-two patients with gastric cancer underwent radical gastrectomy and going to adjuvant chemotherapy,conventional placed jejunal feeding tube. All of the patients weredivided into group A and group B randomly by pathological staging and tumor site, group A reserved jejunal feeding tube and received enteral nutrition through the tube during chemotherapy, and group B non-reservedjejunal feeding tube and been given daily diet,compared nutrition and immune indicators of two groups beforeand after chemotherapy ,compared the rate of vomiting,and observed complications long-term reserved jejunal feeding tube. Results In post-chemotherapy,nutrition and immune indicators of group A were betterthan those of group B, the difference was statistically significant (P＜0.05) ,the rate of vomiting in group Awas significantly lower than that of in group B (X2= 9.75, P＜0.01 ), no serious complieations occurred forlong-term reserved jejunal feeding tube. Conclusions Reserved jejunal feeding tube and received enteralnutrition through the tube during postoperative chemotherapy of gastric cancer can significantly improve the nutritional and immune status. It is safe and reliable, worth promoting.
