Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine (Jan 2023)

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of nosocomial COVID-19 in Turkey: A retrospective multicenter study

  • Süleyman Yıldırım,
  • Celalettin Yılmaz,
  • Gülru Polat,
  • Serap Argun Baris,
  • İlknur Başyiğit,
  • İlknur Kaya,
  • Ceyda Anar,
  • Mihriban Bozkurt,
  • Hüsnü Baykal,
  • Hulya Dirol,
  • Gamzenur Ozbey,
  • Emine Ozsari,
  • Emel Cireli,
  • Ali Kadri Çıirak,
  • Dursun Tatar,
  • Mine Gayaf,
  • Selen Karaoglanoglu,
  • Yener Aydin,
  • Atilla Eroglu,
  • Yıldız Olçar,
  • Berna Botan Yıldırım,
  • Bengül Gürsoy,
  • Deniz Demir Yılmaz,
  • Elif Yelda Ozgun Niksarlioglu,
  • Ramazan Eren,
  • Ayşegül Tomruk Erdem,
  • Müge Meltem Tor,
  • Fusun Fakili,
  • Mustafa Çolak,
  • Merve Erçelik,
  • Ali Tabaru,
  • Özlem Ediboglu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4103/1995-7645.383912
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 8
pp. 347 – 353

Abstract

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Objective: To identify the clinical characteristics and outcomes of hospital-acquired SARS-CoV-2 infection during the vaccination period nationwide in Turkey. Methods: COVID-19 patients followed in the pandemic services across Turkey between January 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022 were investigated retrospectively. Nosocomial COVID-19 was defined as a patient neither diagnosed with COVID-19 nor suspected COVID-19 at the hospital admission and was confirmed COVID-19 ≥5 days after hospital admission. The primary outcome of this study was in-hospital mortality; demographic features and vaccination status was compared between survivors and non-survivors. Results: During the study period, 15 573 COVID-19 patients were followed in 18 centers and 543 (3.5%) patients were nosocomial COVID-19. Most patients with nosocomial COVID-19 (80.4%) were transferred from medical wards. 162 (29.8%) of the patients with nosocomial COVID-19 admitted to the intensive care unit due to disease severity and 138 (25.4%) of the patients died during hospital stay. Advanced age (≥65 years) and number of comorbid diseases (≥2) was found to be associated with mortality in nosocomial COVID-19 (OR 1.74, 95% Cl 1.11-2.74 and OR 1.60, 95% Cl 1.02-2.56, respectively). Vaccination was associated with survival in nosocomial COVID-19 (OR 0.25, 95% Cl 0.16-0.38). Conclusions: Patients with nosocomial COVID-19 had increased admission to intensive care units and higher mortality rate. Vaccination can decrease the in-hospital mortality rate.

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