Factors Associated with Death of Covid-19 Patients: Case Series

This aim of this study was to identify potential factors associated with survival in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID- 19). This study was designed as a case series. It included patients hospitalized in Clinical Centre Kragujevac between March 10, 2020, and June 15, 2020, due to COVID-19. Variables with significant influence on the cure of patients were identified by multivariate logistic regression. A total of 234 patients were included. The average age of the patients was 57.2 ± 15.8 years. Thirty-five patients died (15.0%) and 199 (85.0%) were discharged as completely cured and with the sustained virological response.

The study variables with significant influence (expressed as odds ratio – OR) on cure of COVID-19 patients after adjustment for effects of other variables were: stay in an intensive care unit – ICU (OR = 0.007; 95% confidence interval – CI 0.001 – 0.086; p = 0.000), previous hospitalization (OR = 7.802; 95% CI 1.198 – 50.924; p = 0.032), increased body temperature on admission (OR = 0.004; 95% CI 0.000 – 0.771; p = 0.040), higher score of the Charlson Comorbidity Index (OR = 0.428; 95% CI 0.235 – 0.780; p = 0.006), and increased values of C-reactive protein (CRP) serum level (OR = 0.978; 95% CI 0.966 – 0.990; p = 0.000). In conclusion, clinicians should pay attention to patients with high body temperature at admission, presence of multiple comorbidities, high CRP, and patients who stay in an ICU, considering that they could be at risk for fatal outcome.