Prognosis of patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia in a tertiary hospital in Turkey

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV2/COVID-19 emerged in China and caused a global pandemic in 2020. The mortality rate has been reported to be between 0% and 14.6% in all patients. In this study, we determined the clinical and laboratory parameters of COVID-19 related morbidity and mortality in our hospital. OBJECTIVES: Investigate the relationship between demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters on COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. SETTINGS: Tertiary care hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia from March until the end of December were included in the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The relationship between demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters and the morbidity and mortality rates of patients diagnosed with COVID-19. SAMPLE SIZE: 124 patients RESULTS: The mortality rate was 9.6% (12/124). Coronary artery disease (P<.0001) diabetes mellitus (P=.04) fever (>38.3 degrees C) at presentation (P=.04) hypertension (P<.0001), and positive smoking history (P<.0001) were significantly associated with mortality. Patients who died were older, had a higher comorbid disease index, pneumonia severity index, fasting blood glucose, baseline serum creatinine, D-dimer, and had lower baseline haemoglobin, SaO(2) percentage of lymphocyte counts and diastolic blood pressure. Patients admitted to the ICU were older, had a higher comorbidity disease index, pneumonia severity index, C-reactive protein, WBC, D-dimer, creatinine, number of antibiotics used, longer O-2 support duration, lower hemoglobin, lymphocyte (%), and baseline SaO(2) (%). CONCLUSIONS: Our results were consistent with much of the reported data. We suggest that the frequency, dosage, and duration of steroid treatment should be limited. LIMITATIONS: Low patient number, uncertain reason of mortality, no standard treatment regimen, limited treatment options, like ECMO.

Automated summary

This retrospective observational study of 124 COVID-19 patients found significant associations between mortality and coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, fever, hypertension, and smoking history. Deceased patients were older, had higher comorbidity and pneumonia severity indices, along with elevated levels of D-dimer and creatinine, and lower counts of hemoglobin, lymphocytes, and SaO(2).