Values of intensive care scores in predicting morbidity and mortality in patients treated for COVID-19 pneumonia

Abstract

Some of the patients with COVID-19 pneumonia are followed up in intensive care units (ICU). This study aimed to determine the success of intensive care scores used in patients followed up in the ICU with the diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia in predicting morbidity and mortality. This retrospective study included patients treated for COVID-19 pneumonia in the ICUs of Samsun Training and Research Hospital. We used the patients’ demographic characteristics, vital signs, arterial blood gas values, radiological imaging, and laboratory data by using the hospital database and patient files. Group I was composed of alive patients, while Group II was of dead ones. A total of 75 patients were included in the study, of which 34 (45.3%) were female and 41 (54.7%) were male. The median length of intensive care stay was 8 (5-15) days in Group I patients and 5 (2-8) days in Group II patients, which was higher in alive patients (p=0.004). Radiological involvement was present in 93.3% (n=70) of the patients, and involvement was observed in both lungs in 77.3% (n=58). We observed complications in 54.7% (n=41) of the patients, whereas the incidence of complications was 20% in Group I and 72% in Group II, which was statistically significant (p<0.001). APACHE II, PSI, SOFA, qSOFA, SMART-COP, CURB65, A-DROP and NEWS2 scores were statistically significantly higher in patients who died, whereas APACHE II, SOFA, qSOFA, and SMART-COP scores were more successful in predicting morbidity. It is vital to predict the mortality risk early in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia followed up in intensive care units. Among the scoring systems, APACHE II, PSI, SOFA, qSOFA, SMART-COP, CURB65, A-DROP, and NEWS2 can be used safely to predict mortality.