Document Type : Original article

Authors

• Maryam Khoshdast ¹
• Ali Madadi Mahani ²
• AmirAli Moodi Ghalibaf ³
• Farid Poursadegh ⁴
• Fariba Rezaeetalab ⁴
• Ali Shamshirian ⁵
• Mahnaz Mozdourian ⁴

¹ Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

² Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman,

³ Student Research Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.

⁴ Pulmonologist, lung diseases research center, Mashhad University of Medical Science, Mashhad, Iran.

⁵ Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

Abstract

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges to healthcare systems worldwide, particularly in intensive care units (ICUs), where critically ill patients are treated. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the demographic characteristics, comorbidities, and mortality factors associated with COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU of Imam Reza Hospital in Mashhad, Iran, to optimize patient management and improve outcomes. A total of 409 ICU patients were included in the study with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis based on RT-PCR tests, 61.5% of whom were males, with a mean age of 56.32 ± 15.92 years. The most common presenting symptom was dyspnea (95.6%), followed by weakness (82.7%), chest discomfort (77.8%), headache (66.1%), fever (65.4%), and cough (47.8%). Hypertension (52.4%) and diabetes (50.2%) were the most prevalent comorbidities among the participants. The overall mortality rate was 55.9%. Factors significantly associated with higher mortality included older age (p<0.001), confusion at admission (p<0.001), diabetes (p=0.006), hypertension (p<0.001), ischemic heart disease (p=0.014), higher heart rate (p<0.001), respiratory rate (p<0.001), and lower SPO2 (p<0.001). Deceased patients also had significantly higher blood glucose (p<0.001), urea (p<0.001), creatinine (p<0.001), CRP (p=0.017), INR (p=0.026), and CT scores (p<0.001) compared to survivors. The findings underscored the importance of identifying high-risk COVID-19 patients at the time of ICU admission. These results suggested that patients exhibiting these characteristics require close monitoring and early, aggressive interventions from the onset of hospitalization to improve their clinical status and reduce the risk of mortality.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• Mortality
• ICU
• Comorbidities