Clinical prognostic factors determining the survival of patients with the Ebola virus

Abstract

Introduction: Ebola virus disease has a high lethality, which is why it is of great interest to carry out research that addresses clinical manifestations that could be prognostic factors for survival. Objective: To evaluate prognostic factors of Ebola patients. Methods: the universe was constituted by the totality (n = 350) of admitted patients. Summary measures were used for qualitative variables, point and interval estimates for quantitative variables, as well as Kaplan-Meier significance tests, Cox regression and Odds Ratio. We worked with a 95% level of reliability. Results: The overall survival was 42.5%. The average survival, approximately 10 days (CI: 9-11 days). Patients who were admitted in serious condition (OR = 3.76), who had low back pain (OR = 2.24), who reported headache (OR = 2.22), who presented fever (OR = 2.16), who they suffered from abdominal pain (OR = 1.95) and who were found to have conjunctival injection (OR = 1.86), were more likely to die than those who entered without these symptoms and signs. Conclusions: Survival was high, despite the complications presented. The symptoms and predictive signs of death in the patients were: the severity of the patient at admission, the presence of low back pain, headache, fever, abdominal pain and conjunctival injection.

Keywords

• ebolavirus
• fiebre hemorrágica ébola
• letalidad
• enfermedad por el virus de ébola.