PLoS ONE (Jan 2020)

Prognostic factors in Spanish COVID-19 patients: A case series from Barcelona.

  • Antoni Sisó-Almirall,
  • Belchin Kostov,
  • Minerva Mas-Heredia,
  • Sergi Vilanova-Rotllan,
  • Ethel Sequeira-Aymar,
  • Mireia Sans-Corrales,
  • Elisenda Sant-Arderiu,
  • Laia Cayuelas-Redondo,
  • Angela Martínez-Pérez,
  • Noemí García-Plana,
  • August Anguita-Guimet,
  • Jaume Benavent-Àreu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237960
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 8
p. e0237960

Abstract

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BackgroundIn addition to the lack of COVID-19 diagnostic tests for the whole Spanish population, the current strategy is to identify the disease early to limit contagion in the community.AimTo determine clinical factors of a poor prognosis in patients with COVID-19 infection.Design and settingDescriptive, observational, retrospective study in three primary healthcare centres with an assigned population of 100,000.MethodExamination of the medical records of patients with COVID-19 infections confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. Logistic multivariate regression models adjusted for age and sex were constructed to analyse independent predictive factors associated with death, ICU admission and hospitalization.ResultsWe included 322 patients (mean age 56.7 years, 50% female, 115 (35.7%) aged ≥ 65 years): 123 (38.2) were health workers (doctors, nurses, auxiliaries). Predictors of ICU admission or death were greater age (OR = 1.05; 95%CI = 1.03 to 1.07), male sex (OR = 2.94; 95%CI = 1.55 to 5.82), autoimmune disease (OR = 2.82; 95%CI = 1.00 to 7.84), bilateral pulmonary infiltrates (OR = 2.86; 95%CI = 1.41 to 6.13), elevated lactate-dehydrogenase (OR = 2.85; 95%CI = 1.28 to 6.90), elevated D-dimer (OR = 2.85; 95%CI = 1.22 to 6.98) and elevated C-reactive protein (OR = 2.38; 95%CI = 1.22 to 4.68). Myalgia or arthralgia (OR = 0.31; 95%CI = 0.12 to 0.70) was protective factor against ICU admission and death. Predictors of hospitalization were chills (OR = 5.66; 95%CI = 1.68 to 23.49), fever (OR = 3.33; 95%CI = 1.89 to 5.96), dyspnoea (OR = 2.92; 95%CI = 1.62 to 5.42), depression (OR = 6.06; 95%CI = 1.54 to 40.42), lymphopenia (OR = 3.48; 95%CI = 1.67 to 7.40) and elevated C-reactive protein (OR = 3.27; 95%CI = 1.59 to 7.18). Anosmia (OR = 0.42; 95%CI = 0.19 to 0.90) was the only significant protective factor for hospitalization after adjusting for age and sex.ConclusionDetermining the clinical, biological and radiological characteristics of patients with suspected COVID-19 infection will be key to early treatment and isolation and the tracing of contacts.