Advances in Rheumatology (May 2022)

Factors associated with hospitalizations for Covid-19 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: data from the Reumacov Brazil registry

  • Ana Paula Monteiro Gomides,
  • Cleandro Pires de Albuquerque,
  • Licia Maria Henrique da Mota,
  • Guilherme Devidé,
  • Laiza Hombre Dias,
  • Angela Luzia Branco Pinto Duarte,
  • Raquel Altoé Giovelli,
  • Thais Evelyn Karnopp,
  • Hugo Deleon de Lima,
  • Adriana Marinho,
  • Marianne Schrader de Oliveira,
  • Felipe Omura,
  • Aline Ranzolin,
  • Gustavo Resende,
  • Francinne Machado Ribeiro,
  • Sandra Lúcia Euzébio Ribeiro,
  • Nathália de Carvalho Sacilotto,
  • Wander Gonzaga dos Santos,
  • Samuel Katsuyuki Shinjo,
  • Samia Araujo de Sousa Studart,
  • Flávia Patricia Sena Teixeira,
  • Michel Alexandre Yazbek,
  • Gilda Aparecida Ferreira,
  • Odirlei A. Monticielo,
  • Eduardo Paiva,
  • Gecilmara Cristina Salviato Pileggi,
  • Edgard Torres dos Reis-Neto,
  • Marcelo de Medeiros Pinheiro,
  • Claudia D. L. Marques,
  • On behalf of ReumaCoV Brasil Registry

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s42358-022-00244-5
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 62, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

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Abstract Background Patients using immunosuppressive drugs may have unfavorable results after infections. However, there is a lack of information regarding COVID-19 in these patients, especially in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors associated with COVID-19 hospitalizations in patients with RA. Methods This multicenter, prospective cohort study is within the ReumaCoV Brazil registry and included 489 patients with RA. In this context, 269 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 were compared to 220 patients who tested negative for COVID-19 (control group). All patient data were collected from the Research Electronic Data Capture database. Results The participants were predominantly female (90.6%) with a mean age of 53 ± 12 years. Of the patients with COVID-19, 54 (20.1%) required hospitalization. After multiple adjustments, the final regression model showed that heart disease (OR = 4.61, 95% CI 1.06–20.02. P < 0.001) and current use of glucocorticoids (OR = 20.66, 95% CI 3.09–138. P < 0.002) were the risk factors associated with hospitalization. In addition, anosmia was associated with a lower chance of hospitalization (OR = 0.26; 95% CI 0.10–0.67, P < 0.005). Conclusion Our results demonstrated that heart disease and the use of glucocorticoids were associated with a higher number of hospital admissions for COVID-19 in patients with RA. Trial registration: Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials - RBR-33YTQC.

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