Clinical features and prognostic factors of critically ill patients with COVID-19 in Daegu, South Korea

To describe the clinical and demographic characteristics of critically ill patients with COVID-19 in Daegu, South Korea, and to explore the risk factors for in-hospital mortality in these patients. Retrospective cohort study of 110 critically ill patients with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU in Daegu, South Korea, between February 18 and April 5, 2020. The final date of follow-up was April 20, 2020. A total of 110 patient medical records were reviewed. The median age was 71 years (interquartile range [IQR] = 63–78 years). During the study period, 47 patients (42.7%) died in the hospital. The most common SARS-CoV-2 infection related complication was acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in 95 patients (86.4%). Of the 79 patients (71.8%) who received invasive mechanical ventilation, 46 (58.2%) received neuromuscular blockade injection, and 19 (24.1%) received ECMO treatment. All patients received antibiotic injection, 99 patients (90%) received hydroxychloroquine, 96 patients (87.3%) received lopinavir-ritonavir antiviral medication, and 14 patients (12.7%) received other antiviral agents, including darunavir-cobicistat and emtricitabine-tenofovir. In the multivariable logistic regression model, the odds ratio of in-hospital death was higher with APACHE II score (OR = 1.126; 95% CI = 1.014–1.252; P= .027). The in-hospital mortality rate of critically ill patients with COVID-19 was approximately 40%. Higher APACHE II score at admission was an independent risk factor for death in these patients.