Outcomes of patients in intensive care units according to COVID-19 status: analysis of 114 854 cases in Saudi Arabia.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has profoundly affected global health systems. Healthcare systems across the globe have been pushed to their limits, with intensive care units (ICUs) witnessing a sharp rise in admissions, putting a strain on resources and personnel.

Objectives: Examine ICU health outcomes, including mortality, length of stay (LOS), and discharge rates, among COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients.

Design: Retrospective, cross-sectional study.

Setting: A national cross-sectional dataset provided by the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia.

Patients and methods: All patients admitted to ICUs across Saudi Arabia between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022. Patients were classified as confirmed COVID-19 cases and non-COVID-19 cases. To evaluate the ICU outcomes, the study used multivariate regression models, adjusting for covariates including age, gender, region, citizenship, and comorbidity score.

Main outcome measures: ICU outcomes including mortality, LOS and discharge rate.

Sample size: 114 854 ICU patients.

Results: The study population consisted of 114 854 ICU patients across various demographic and clinical categories. Mortality was found to be higher in COVID-19 patients than non-COVID-19 patients, with COVID-19 patients showing a 7% increase in mortality (OR=1.07, 95% CI: 1.02-1.12). Also, COVID-19 patients had 78% higher odds of being discharged home than the non-COVID-19 group (OR=1.78, 95% CI: 1.71-1.84). Moreover, the average LOS in the ICU was significantly shorter for COVID-19 patients than non-COVID-19 patients by 6% on average (Coefficient=-0.06, 95% CI: -0.07 to -0.03).

Conclusion: Significant differences were seen in ICU outcomes between patients with and without COVID-19, including mortality rates, discharge rates, and LOS. COVID-19 patients exhibited higher mortality rate and discharge rate, and shorter ICU LOS than those without COVID-19.

Limitations: The data used in this study has missing critical information such as laboratory results, socioeconomic variables, and hospitalization characteristics.