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Barthel's Index: A Better Predictor for COVID-19 Mortality Than Comorbidities
João Cordeiro da Costa1,2, Maria Conceição Manso3, Susana Gregório1,4
1Hospital-Escola da Universidade Fernando Pessoa, Gondomar, Portugal.
Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
|June 23, 2022
Summary
Activities of daily living (ADL) dependence, advanced age, and pneumonia significantly predict COVID-19 mortality in older adults. These factors are crucial for identifying high-risk individuals and informing clinical management strategies.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Established COVID-19 mortality predictors include age, male sex, and comorbidities.
- Previous studies used heterogeneous cohorts with varying disease severity.
- The role of functional dependence in COVID-19 mortality requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate activities of daily living (ADL) dependence as a predictor of COVID-19 mortality.
- To identify key mortality risk factors in a cohort of elderly COVID-19 patients.
- To analyze the association between functional status and COVID-19 survival outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study of 340 COVID-19 patients in Northern Portugal (Oct 2020-Mar 2021).
- Analysis included demographics, ADL dependence (Barthel index), comorbidities, and clinical data.
- Multivariable logistic regression and ROC analysis were used to determine independent predictors of mortality.
Main Results:
- The cohort had a mean age of 80.6 years and a 19.7% mortality rate.
- Multivariable analysis identified age ≥86 years, pneumonia, and ADL dependence as significant predictors of mortality.
- ADL dependence showed a strong association with mortality (pooled OR, 6.296).
Conclusions:
- Activities of daily living (ADL) dependence is a significant predictor of COVID-19 mortality in the elderly.
- Aging and pneumonia also emerged as critical factors influencing mortality risk.
- These findings highlight the importance of functional status assessment in managing elderly COVID-19 patients.
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