Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes Among COVID-19 Hospitalized Patients with Chronic Conditions: A Retrospective Single-Center Study

J Multidiscip Healthc. 2020 Oct 6:13:1089-1097. doi: 10.2147/JMDH.S273918. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Purpose: Evidence to date suggests that having chronic conditions increases the probability of severe illness from severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Thus, it is essential to identify the features of those patients. The purpose of this research was to identify the clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients with chronic conditions.

Patients and methods: A retrospective cross-sectional single-center study was conducted using electronic medical records of hospitalized COVID-19 patients between March 1, 2020, and May 20, 2020. Patients' basic information, laboratory test, clinical data, medications, and outcome data have been extracted and compared among three groups: patients without chronic conditions, patients with one chronic condition, and patients with two or more chronic conditions. Chi-square, Fisher's exact test, Student's t-test, and the Mann-Whitney U-test were used.

Results: The study population was 458 patients, with an average age of 38.8 years (standard deviation (SD) 12.8). There were 398 (86.9%) males in the study population, most of them with one chronic condition. There were 14 (14.3%) smokers, and the majority of them were among patients with two or more chronic conditions. Longer hospital stay and time in the intensive care unit (ICU), a higher probability of ICU admission, and the need for mechanical ventilation were identified among patients with two or more chronic conditions. Dyspnea, an increased level of platelet counts, and a reduction in hemoglobin levels were discovered among patients with two or more chronic conditions.

Conclusion: Patients with more chronic conditions were at higher risk of yielding poor clinical outcomes. Prevention and treatment of infections in these patients merit more attention.

Keywords: chronic conditions; clinical features; coronavirus disease 2019; outcomes.

Grants and funding

This project was supported by the Deanship of Scientific Research at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University.