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. 2023 Jun 23;5(2):94–105. doi: 10.36519/idcm.2023.206

Table 3.

Clinical characteristics on admission associated with progression to critical illness within 28 days of follow-up

Variables All patients (n=477) n (%) Did not progress to critical illness (n=432) n (%) Progressed to critical illness (n=45) n (%) p
Age (years)
 ≤39 87 (18.2) 87 (20.1) 0 (0) <0.001
 40-59 195 (40.9) 185 (42.8) 10 (22.2)
 60-79 153 (32.1) 127 (29.4) 26 (57.8)
 ≥80 42 (8.8) 33 (7.6) 9 (20.0)

Sex
 Male 239 (50.1) 212 (49.1) 27 (60.0) >0.05

Comorbidity
 Hypertension 220 (46.1) 188 (43.5) 32 (71.1) <0.001
 Diabetes 139 (29.1) 120 (27.8) 19 (42.2) 0.042
 Cardiovascular disease1 109 (22.9) 88 (20.4) 21 (46.7) <0.001
 Chronic lung disease2 87 (18.2) 71 (16.4) 16 (35.6) 0.002
 Neuropsychiatric condition 3 41 (8.6) 31 (7.2) 10 (22.2) 0.003
 Immune compromised state4 34 (7.1) 26 (6) 8 (17.8) 0.009
 Chronic kidney disease 29 (6.1) 24 (5.6) 5 (11.1) >0.05
 Chronic liver disease 6 (1.3) 5 (1.2) 1 (2.2) >0.05
 ≥1 Comorbidity 311 (65.2) 271 (62.7) 40 (88.9) <0.001

Smoking status
 Current 20 (4.2) 17 (3.9) 3 (6.7) >0.05
 Former 78 (16.4) 70 (16.2) 8 (17.8)
 Never 379 (79.5) 345 (79.9) 34 (75.6)

Body mass index5
 ≤24.9 95 (23.2) 85 (22.9) 10 (25.6) >0.05
 25.0 - 29.9 159 (38.8) 143 (38.5) 14 (41.0)
 ≥30.0 156 (38) 143 (38.5) 13 (33.3)
Time from illness onset to hospitalization, median (IQR) 5 (3.0-8.0) 5.0 (3.0-8.0) 6.5 (2.0-9.5) >0.05

Vital signs
 Temperature ≥38°C 91 (19.2) 76 (17.6) 15 (34.9) 0.006
 Heart rate >90 beats/min 268 (56.5) 238 (55.2) 30 (69.8) 0.067
 Systolic BP ≤100 mmHg 74 (15.6) 67 (15.5) 7 (16.7) >0.05
 Mean arterial BP <65 mmHg 8 (1.7) 6 (1.4) 2 (4.8) >0.05
 Respiratory rate ≥22/min 304 (64.1) 268 (62.5) 36 (80.0) 0.020
 Oxygen saturation ≤93% 157 (33.1) 124 (28.8) 33 (75.0) <0.001
 qSOFA >1 61 (12.9) 50 (11.6) 11 (26.2) 0.007

WHO scale on admission
 WHO-2 58 (12.2) 58 (13.4) 0 (0) <0.001
 WHO-3 296 (62.1) 287 (66.4) 9 (20)
 WHO-4 119 (24.9) 86 (19.9) 33 (73.3)
 WHO-5 4 (0.8) 1 (0.2) 3 (6.7)

Laboratory findings
 Lymphocyte <800/ mm3 89 (18.9) 67 (15.7) 22 (48.9) <0.001
 CRP ≥30 mg/dL 218 (46.8) 177 (42) 41 (91.1) <0.001
 Procalcitonin ≥0.25 µg/L 21 (11) 30 (7.1) 21 (46.7) <0.001
 Ferritin >300 µg/L 126 (27.8) 97 (23.8) 29 (64.4) <0.001
 D-dimer ≥1.0 mg/L 128 (27.4) 99 (23.3) 29 (67.4) <0.001
 Fibrinogen >400 mg/dL 264 (64.2) 233 (62) 31 (88.6) 0.002
 LDH ≥350 U/L 108 (23) 84 (19.8) 24 (53.3) <0.001
 Troponin T >14 ng/L 89 (22.4) 66 (18.2) 23 (65.7) <0.001

Period of admission to hospital
 12-27 March 31 (6.5) 22 (5.1) 9 (20) <0.001
 28 March-11 April 208 (43.6) 190 (44) 18 (40)
 12-26 April 158 (33.1) 142 (32.9) 16 (35.6)
 27 April-12 May 80 (18.8) 78 (18.1) 2 (4.4)

IQR: Interquartile range, BP: Blood pressure, qSOFA: Quick sepsis-related organ dysfunction assessment, CRP: C-reactive protein, LDH: Lactate dehydrogenase, WHO: World Health Organization.

1 Excluding hypertension.

2 Includes asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis and interstitial pulmonary fibrosis.

3 Includes dementia, cerebrovascular disease and psychiatric conditions.

4 Includes rheumatologic disorders, immunosuppressive treatment, recent diagnosis of hematologic/solid organ malignancy.

5 The body mass index (BMI) was missing in 67 (14.0%) participants.