Table 2.
Management of patients during the first and second surge of the pandemic
| First surge (until 26 May 2020) | Second surge 1 September–31 December 2020 |
p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients (n) | 1327 | 1298 | |
| Time periods | |||
| Days with symptoms prior to hospital admission | 7 (4–10) | 7 (4–10) | 0.35 |
| Days in the hospital prior to ICU admission | 2 (1–4) | 2 (1–5) | < 0.0001 |
| Length of ICU stay for patients discharged alive (days) | 15 (6–29) | 10 (5–20) | < 0.0001 |
| Respiratory management | |||
| Mechanical ventilation started on day 1 | 58% | 42% | < 0.0001 |
| Mechanical ventilation | |||
|
Cumulative incidence at day 15 Cumulative incidence at day 30 |
78% (76–80) 78% (76–80) |
68% (65–70) 68% (66–71) |
< 0.0001 |
| Non-invasive ventilation | |||
|
Cumulative incidence at day 15 Cumulative incidence at day 30 |
19% (17–21) 21% (19–23) |
27% (24–29) 28% (25–30) |
0.0012 |
| Non-invasive or mechanical ventilation | |||
|
Cumulative incidence at day 15 Cumulative incidence at day 30 |
85% (83–86) 85% (83–87) |
79% (76–81) 79% (77–81) |
0.0002 |
| Prone positioning | |||
|
Cumulative incidence at day 15 Cumulative incidence at day 30 |
57% (54–60) 58% (54–61) |
55% (52–59) 56% (53–60) |
0.6074 |
| Further management | |||
| Vasoactive drugs | 77% | 67% | < 0.0001 |
| Renal replacement therapy | 18% | 14% | 0.0069 |
| Corticosteroids | 38% | 93% | < 0.0001 |
| Antibiotics | 92% | 88% | 0.0009 |
| Withholding or Withdrawal of treatment modalities | |||
|
Cumulative incidence at day 15 Cumulative incidence at day 30 |
29% (27–32) 37% (35–40) |
30% (27–32) 37% (35–40) |
0.86 |