Features of 20 133 UK patients in hospital with covid-19 using the ISARIC WHO Clinical Characterisation Protocol: prospective observational cohort study
Further results from this ongoing study show that 41% were discharged alive, 26% died and 34% were continuing to receive care. Of the 17% requiring admission to high dependency/intensive care units, corresponding figures were 28%, 32% and 41%.
Source:
British Medical Journal
SPS commentary:
This large prospective study of patients in hospital with Covid-19 continues to enrol patients. The commonest co-morbidities in these patients included chronic cardiac disease (31%), uncomplicated diabetes (21%), non-asthmatic chronic pulmonary disease (18%), and chronic kidney disease (16%). Aside from chronic co-morbidities, factors associated with higher in-hospital mortality included increasing age, male sex and obesity. The authors note that the observed mortality is higher than that seen in almost all other studies, and that this could be due to the older age of the cohort (median 73 years), health system differences, and practices for advanced care planning.
A linked editorial notes that better information is needed on care before, during and beyond the hospital, and that physicians need guidance about prevention, transmission, monitoring, home care, integration with primary care, risk factors for clinical worsening and criteria for escalating patients to emergency care.