A Descriptive Study of Clinicoradiological and Serum Biomarker Profile in Patients Who Died due to COVID-19 Infection in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

A bstrAct Background: The coronavirus infectious disease-2019 (COVID-19) infectivity and death rates are steadily falling as we reach the declining phase of the second wave. However, there is still no surety as to when we will be finally free from the pandemic and mortality will always remain the most important factor of concern. Materials and methods: One hundred patients who died due to COVID-19 were sampled using systematic random sampling from our hospital, and demographic, clinical, blood, and radiological investigations data were collected retrospectively. An analysis of these parameters was then done using descriptive statistical methods to point out potential risk factors for mortality, which may help in formulating future hypotheses. Results: The mean age was 68.3 years, and 69% were more than 65 years of age. Sixty-one percent were males, suggesting a male preponderance. Diabetes and hypertension were the most common comorbidities. Oxygen saturation < 90%, respiratory rate > 24 / minute, heart rate > 90 / minute, impaired level of consciousness, National Early Warning Score (NEWS) > 12 seem to be important mortality predictors. Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio of more than 5.2, lymphopenia, low platelet counts, low serum albumin, electrolyte disturbances, high creatinine levels, and high serum inflammatory biomarker levels all appear to contribute to mortality in COVID-19 patients. Conclusions: More studies need to be performed to test for the variety of hypotheses proposed in this study. Early identification of these mortality indicators may help us reduce mortality in such cases by timely and appropriate intervention.