Confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and mortality: Associated factors in hospitalized people 75 and older

Abstract

<b>Introduction:</b> COVID-19 infection in the elderly posed challenges in health systems and clinical care by health personnel.<br /> <b>Objective</b>:<b> </b>To<b> </b>describe the factors associated with mortality in persons aged 75 and older with COVID-19 in a high complexity hospital in Bogotá, Colombia.<br /> <b>Methods</b>:<b> </b>Observational, analytical and retrospective study, including 509 patients aged 75 and older hospitalized with COVID-19.<br /> <b>Results</b>:<b> </b>40.47% died during hospital stay. It was found that a shorter time of symptom onset at admission, a respiratory rate greater than 20 breaths per minute, having thrombocytopenia, elevated lactate dehydrogenase and elevated D-dimer were associated with higher in-hospital mortality.<br /> <b>Conclusions</b>:<b> </b>There is an association between mortality and the presence of dyspnea, fever and delirium. Paraclinical results with lactate dehydrogenase >350 (U/L), the presence of elevated D-dimer greater than 1,000 μg/L, as well as a Pa02/Fi02 ratio with a median of less than 90, were associated with higher mortality.