Mortality and Associated Factors in Patients with COVID-19: Cross-Sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Critical Care Medicine
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes COVID-19, a pandemic disease with high morbidity and mortality, primarily from pulmonary complications.
• Understanding mortality factors in critically ill COVID-19 patients is crucial for improving clinical outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze COVID-19 mortality prevalence and associated factors in severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation.
• To identify demographic, lifestyle, and therapeutic variables correlated with hospital death in this patient cohort.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cross-sectional study analyzing medical records of 397 adult SARS patients admitted to an ICU with COVID-19 and requiring invasive mechanical ventilation.
• Data collected included demographics, lifestyle factors, and treatments; hospital death was the primary outcome variable.
• Multiple regression analysis was employed to identify independent factors associated with mortality.

Main Results:

• The overall mortality rate among SARS patients with COVID-19 was 46.1%.
• Independent factors associated with increased mortality included age over 60 years (p < 0.001) and azithromycin use (p = 0.012).
• Protective factors against mortality included the absence of hyperthyroidism, asthma, hepatic inheritance, and not being a smoker.

Conclusions:

• Older age and azithromycin administration were significantly associated with higher mortality rates in mechanically ventilated SARS patients with COVID-19.
• Identifying protective factors such as the absence of specific comorbidities and non-smoking status can inform risk stratification and management strategies.