Risk factors associated with COVID-19-induced death in patients hospitalized in intensive care units (ICUs) in a city in Southern Brazil

André S Olak; Aline M Susuki; Milena Kanashiro; Monica M B Paoliello; Michael Aschner; Mariana R Urbano

doi:10.1016/j.toxrep.2021.07.020

Risk factors associated with COVID-19-induced death in patients hospitalized in intensive care units (ICUs) in a city in Southern Brazil

Toxicol Rep. 2021:8:1565-1568. doi: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2021.07.020. Epub 2021 Aug 5.

Authors

André S Olak^{1

2}, Aline M Susuki², Milena Kanashiro², Monica M B Paoliello³, Michael Aschner³, Mariana R Urbano^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Statistics, State University of Londrina (UEL), Londrina, PR, Brazil.
² Department of Architecture and Urbanism, State University of Londrina (UEL), Londrina, PR, Brazil.
³ Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this research was to address risk factors associated with death after hospitalization in intensive care units (ICUs) in 728 COVID-19 patients in Londrina, the second most populated city in the State of Paraná - Brazil, between March and December 2020.

Methods: Statistical analysis, including multiple logistic regression was performed to identify risk factors associated with death in these patients.

Results: The results showed that age (60 years or more, O.R. = 3.13, C.I. 95% [2.02; 4.84]), days in the ICU (11 days or more, O.R. = 1.76, C.I. 95% [1.16; 2.66]), neurological diseases (O.R. = 2.15, C.I. 95% [1.07; 4.31]), pneumopathy (O.R = 2.19, C.I. 95% [1.01; 4.82]), diabetes (O.R. = 1.55, C.I. 95% [1.03; 2.32]), and kidney disease (O.R. = 2.27, C.I. 95% [1.18; 4.70]) were associated with increased risk for death from COVID-19.

Conclusion: Knowing the risk factors associated with death after ICUs hospitalization is useful for identifying the most vulnerable groups, as well as for defining vaccination priorities, considering its scarcity in many parts of the world, mainly in underdeveloped countries, including Brazil.

Keywords: COVID-19; Pandemic; Risk factors; Statistical analysis.