COVID-19 in Geriatric Patients

Abstract

Objective: Considering the ongoing pneumonia epidemic associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), aging is a major risk factor alone for serious illness and death. In this study, we aimed to investigate the length of stay, hospital discharge status, and prognostic factors in geriatric patients with COVID-19. Methods: Medical files of 199 patients over the age of 65 years, who were treated as inpatients due to the diagnosis of COVID-19, were reviewed retrospectively. Demographic characteristics, comorbid diseases, laboratory values, the length of stay, and hospital discharge status of eligible patients were evaluated. Results: Of inpatients with COVID-19, the mean age was 75.01±7.86 years and 50.8% were men. In patients, who were transferred to ICU, C-reactive protein (CRP) and ferritin levels were higher compared to patients discharged to home and the monocyte/HDL ratio (MHR) was higher compared to nonsurvivors (p=0.037, p=0.003, p=0.023). Nonsurvivors had significantly higher white blood cell (WBC) counts and erythrocyte sedimentation rates (ESR) compared to patients discharged to home. Nonsurvivors had a significantly shorter length of hospital stay compared to patients, who were transferred to ICU. Conclusion: Geriatric patients are susceptible to adverse clinical outcomes of COVID-19. We think that WBC, ESR, CRP, ferritin, and MHR levels may inform about poor prognosis and the potential discharge status in elderly patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Gaining insight into poor prognostic factors in elderly patients is essential to control COVID-19 and develop rapid treatment strategies in this age group.

Özet

Amaç: Şiddetli akut solunum yolu koronavirüsü 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ile ilişkili devam eden pnömoni salgınında yaşlanmanın kendisi, ciddi hastalık ve ölüm için önemli bir risk faktörüdür. Bu çalışmada COVID-19’lu yaşlı hastaların yatış sürelerini, çıkış durumlarını ve prognostik faktörleri araştırmayı planladık. Hastalar ve Yöntem: COVID-19 tanısı ile takip edilen 65 yaş üstü 199 hastanın dosyası retrospektif olarak tarandı. Çalışmaya alınan hastaların demografik özellikleri, komorbid hastalıkları, labaratuvar değerleri, yatış süreleri ve çıkış durumları değerlendirildi. Bulgular: COVID-19 tanısı ile yatan hastaların yaş ortalaması 75,01±7,86 ‘ıydı ve %50,8’i erkekti. Yoğun bakıma sevk edilen hastaların C-reactive protein (CRP) ve ferritin düzeyleri eve taburcu olanlardan, monosit/HDL oranı (MHR) exitus olanlardan anlamlı derecede daha yüksekti (p=0.037, p=0.003, p=0.023). Exitus olan hastaların beyaz kan hücresi (WBC) ve erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) düzeyleri eve taburcu olan hastalardan anlamlı derecede daha yüksekti ve yatış süreleri yoğun bakıma sevk edilen hastalardan anlamlı derecede kısa idi (p