Comorbid Conditions in a Cohort of Inpatients with SARS-CoV-2 and their Association with In-Hospital Mortality During the Early Phases of the Pandemic.

Introduction: Studies determined that age and associated comorbidities are associated with worse outcomes for COVID-19 patients. The aim of the present study is to examine previous electronic health records of SARS-CoV-2 patients to identify which chronic conditions are associated with in-hospital mortality in a nationally representative sample. Materials and Methods: The actual study is a cross-sectional analysis of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients who were treated in repurposed hospitals. The study includes a cohort of patients treated from 06-11-2020 to 15-03-2021 for COVID-19 associated pneumonia. To examine the presence of comorbidities, electronic health records were examined and analyzed. Results: A total of 1486 in-patients were treated in the specified period, out of which 1237 met the criteria for case. The median age of the sample was 65 years. The overall in-hospital mortality in the sample was 25.5%, while the median length of stay was 11 days. From whole sample, 16.0% of the patients did not have established diagnoses in their electronic records, while the most prevalent coexisting condition was arterial hypertension (62.7%), followed by diabetes mellitus (27.3%). The factors of age, male gender, and the number of diagnoses showed a statistically significant increase in odds ratio (OR) for in-hospital mortality. The presence of chronic kidney injury was associated with the highest increase of OR (by 3.37) for in-hospital mortality in our sample. Conclusion: The study reaffirms the findings that age, male gender, and the presence of comorbidities are associated with in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 treated and unvaccinated patients. Our study suggests that chronic kidney injury showed strongest association with the outcome, when adjusted for age, gender, and coexisting comorbidities.

Interstitial lung diseases: course report.

ERS hosted a 3-day course on interstitial lung diseases in Heidelberg, Germany http://ow.ly/M8MD3021q6n.

Predictive Factors for the Effect of Treatment by Noninvasive Ventilation in Patients with Respiratory Failure as a Result of Acute Exacerbation of the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

BACKGROUND: Noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) applies ventilator support through the patient's upper airway using a mask. AIM: The aim of the study is to define factors that will point out an increased risk of NIV failure in patients with exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients over the age of 40, treated with NIV, were prospectively recruited. After data processing, the patients were divided into two groups: 1) successful NIV treatment group; 2) failed NIV treatment group. RESULTS: On admission arterial pH and Glasgow coma scale (GCS) levels were lower (pH: p < 0.05, GCS: p < 0.05), and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE) score and PaCO2 were higher (p < 0.05) in the NIV failure group. Arterial pH was lower (p < 0.05) and PaCO2 and respiratory rate were higher (p < 0.05) after 1h, and arterial pH was lower (p < 0.05) and PaCO2 (p < 0.05), respiratory and heart rate were higher (p < 0.05) after 4h in the NIV failure group. CONCLUSION: Measurement and monitoring of certain parameters may be of value in terms of predicting the effectiveness of NIV treatment.