Outcome Improvement Between the First Two Waves of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic in a Single Tertiary-Care Hospital in Belgium

Bernard Lambermont; Anne-Françoise Rousseau; Laurence Seidel; Marie Thys; Jonathan Cavalleri; Pierre Delanaye; J Geoffrey Chase; Pierre Gillet; Benoit Misset

doi:10.1097/CCE.0000000000000438

Outcome Improvement Between the First Two Waves of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic in a Single Tertiary-Care Hospital in Belgium

Crit Care Explor. 2021 May 19;3(5):e0438. doi: 10.1097/CCE.0000000000000438. eCollection 2021 May.

Authors

Bernard Lambermont¹, Anne-Françoise Rousseau¹, Laurence Seidel², Marie Thys³, Jonathan Cavalleri⁴, Pierre Delanaye⁵, J Geoffrey Chase⁶, Pierre Gillet⁷, Benoit Misset¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Intensive Care, University Hospital Liege, Liege, Belgium.
² Biostatistics and Medico-Economic Department, University Hospital Liege, Liege, Belgium.
³ Medico-Economic Information Department, University Hospital Liege, Liege, Belgium.
⁴ Department of Emergency, University Hospital of Liege, Liege, Belgium.
⁵ Department of Nephrology, University Hospital of Liege, Liege, Belgium.
⁶ Department of Mechanical Engineering, Centre for Bio-Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
⁷ Medical Director, University Hospital of Liege, Liege, Belgium.

Abstract

Objectives: To compare patient management and outcome during the first and second waves of the coronavirus 2019 pandemic.

Design: Single-center prospective cohort study.

Setting: Tertiary-care University Hospital.

Patients: All adult patients admitted in either the first (from March 15 to May 15, 2020) or second (from October 1 to November 30, 2020) wave of coronavirus disease 2019.

Interventions: None.

Measurements and main results: Primary outcome was 30-day mortality. During the second wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, 33 patients (4.8%) were transferred due to overcrowding and excluded from analysis. There were 341 (first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic) and 695 (second wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic) coronavirus disease 2019 patients admitted to the hospital, with median age first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic as 68 (57-80) and second wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic as 71 (60-80) (p = 0.15), and similar admission severity. For the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic versus second wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, 30-day mortality was 74/341 (22%) and 98/662 (15%) (p = 0.007). In the ward, 11/341 (3.2%) and 404/662 (61%) received dexamethasone (p < 0.001); 6/341 (2%) and 79/662 (12%) received high-flow nasal oxygen (p < 0.0001); 2/341 (0.6%) and 88/662 (13.3%) received remdesivir (p < 0.0001); 249/341 (73%) and 0/662 (0%) received hydroxychloroquine (p < 0.0001); and 87/341 (26%) and 128/662 (19%) (p = 0.024) patients were transferred to ICU. On ICU admission, median Sequential Organ Failure Assessment was 6 (3-7) and 4 (3-6) (p = 0.02). High-flow nasal oxygen was given to 16/87 (18%) and 102/128 (80%) (p < 0.001); 69/87 (79%) and 56/128 (44%) received mechanical ventilation (p < 0.001) with durations 17 days (10-26 d) and 10 days (5-17 d) (p = 0.01). Median ICU length of stay was 14 days (5-27 d) and 6 days (3-11 d) (p < 0.001). Finally, 16/87 (18%) and 8/128 (6%) received renal replacement therapy (p = 0.0055); and 64/87 (74%) and 51/128 (40%) needed vasopressor support (p < 0.001).

Conclusions: The main therapeutic changes between the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and the second wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic were use of steroids, unrestrictive use of high-flow nasal oxygen for hypoxemic patients, and transfer of patients to other geographic areas in the case of ICU overcrowding. These changes were associated with a decrease in 30-day mortality, ICU admission, and organ support.

Keywords: coronavirus disease 2019; corticosteroids; high-flow nasal oxygen; intensive care; mechanical ventilation; remdesivir.