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COVID-19 in Elderly Patients: Risk Factors for Disease Severity
Pınar Korkmaz1, Duru Mıstanoğlu-Özatağ1, Halil Aslan2
1Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Kütahya Health Sciences University School of Medicine, Kütahya, Turkey.
Identifying early clinical signs of severe COVID-19 in elderly patients, such as cough and shortness of breath, along with specific CT findings like pleural effusion and atelectasis, can improve outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Infectious Diseases
- Radiology
Background:
- Elderly patients are highly susceptible to severe outcomes from SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) infection.
- Age-related factors increase the risk of complications and mortality in older adults with COVID-19.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify clinical and radiological factors associated with severe COVID-19 in patients over 65 years old.
- To evaluate predictors of severe disease progression in elderly COVID-19 patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 134 elderly patients (≥65 years) diagnosed with COVID-19.
- Evaluation of clinical symptoms, comorbidities, chest computed tomography (CT) findings, and treatment outcomes.
Main Results:
- Severe COVID-19 was observed in 39.6% of patients. Key symptoms included fatigue, cough, and shortness of breath.
- Thorax CT revealed ground-glass opacities (94.8%), infiltration (42.5%), and consolidation (32.8%). Bilateral involvement was common (93.3%).
- Multivariate analysis identified cough, shortness of breath on admission, and CT findings of atelectasis and pleural effusion as significant predictors of severe disease (p<0.05).
Conclusions:
- Early recognition of specific symptoms (cough, shortness of breath) and CT findings (pleural effusion, atelectasis) is crucial for managing severe COVID-19 in the elderly.
- Prompt medical intervention based on these indicators may help mitigate poor clinical outcomes in this vulnerable population.
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