Background: Survival rates of critically ill COVID-19 patients are affected by various clinical features and laboratory parameters at ICU admission. Some of these predictors are universal but others may be population specific.Objective: To determine utility of baseline clinical and laboratory parameters in a multivariate regression model to predict outcomes in critically ill COVID-19 patients in a tertiary hospital in Croatia. Methods: 692 critically ill COVID-19 patients treated during a 10-month period were included in this retrospective observational trial to assess the risk factors determining mortality rates. Various anthropometric features, comorbidities, laboratory parameters, clinical features and therapeutic interventions were included in the analysis. ICU mortality rates and length of ICU stay were primary endpoints analyzed in this study. Results: After multivariate adjustment, only the SOFA score, PaO 2 /FiO 2 and history of arterial hypertension had an effect on ICU mortality, as well as the need to initiate invasive mechanical ventilation. Increase in PaO 2 /FiO 2 over the first 7 days was present in survivors, while reverse applied to SOFA. Length of ICU stay was 9 (4À14) days. Factors affecting survival times were admission from wards, congestive heart failure, invasive mechanical ventilation, bacterial superinfections, age > 75 years, SOFA score, and serum ferritin, CRP and IL-6 values at ICU admission. Conclusion: Elevated inflammatory biomarkers and SOFA score at ICU admission were detected as significant predictors of ICU mortality in this cohort, while initiation of invasive mechanical ventilation is the most relevant interventional mortality risk factor in critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Aim To describe epidemiological characteristics and baseline clinical features, laboratory findings at intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and survival rates of critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients treated at a tertiary institution specialized for COVID-19 patients. Methods This retrospective study recruited 692 patients (67.1% men). Baseline demographic data, major comorbidities, anthropometric measurements, clinical features, and laboratory findings at admission were compared between survivors and non-survivors. Results The median age was 72 (64-78) years. The median body mass index was 29.1 kg/m 2 . The most relevant comorbidities were diabetes mellitus (32.6%), arterial hypertension (71.2%), congestive heart failure (19.1%), chronic kidney disease (12.6%), and hematological disorders (10.3%). The median number of comorbidities was 3 and median Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) was 5. A total of 61.8% patients received high-flow nasal oxygen therapy (HFNO) and 80.5% received mechanical ventilation (MV). Median duration of HFNO was 3, and that of MV was 7 days. ICU mortality rate was 72.7%. Survivors had significantly lower age, number of comorbidities, CCI, sequential organ failure assessment score, serum ferritin, C-reactive protein, D-dimer, and procalcitonin, interleukin-6, lactate, white blood cell, and neutrophil counts. They also had higher lymphocyte counts, PaO 2 /FiO 2 ratio, and glomerular filtration rate at admission. Length of ICU stay was 9 days. The median survival was 11 days for mechanically ventilated patients, and 24 days for patients who were not mechanically ventilated. Conclusion The parameters that differentiate survivors from non-survivors are in agreement with published data. Further multivariate analyses are warranted to identify individual mortality risk factors.

Background: Superinfections contribute to mortality and length of stay in critically ill COVID-19 patients. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and pathogen distribution of bacterial and fungal superinfections of the lower respiratory tract (LRTI), urinary tract (UTI) and bloodstream (BSI) and to determine the predictive value of biomarkers of inflammatory response on their ICU survival rates. Methods: A retrospective observational study that included critically ill COVID-19 patients treated during an 11-month period in a Croatian national COVID-19 hospital was performed. Clinical and diagnostic data were analyzed according to the origin of superinfection, and multivariate regression analysis was performed to determine the predictive values of biomarkers of inflammation on their survival rates. Results: 55.3% critically ill COVID-19 patients developed bacterial or fungal superinfections, and LRTI were most common, followed by BSI and UTI. Multidrug-resistant pathogens were the most common causes of LRTI and BSI, while Enterococcus faecalis was the most common pathogen causing UTI. Serum ferritin and neutrophil count were associated with decreased chances of survival in patients with LRTI, and patients with multidrug-resistant isolates had significantly higher mortality rates, coupled with longer ICU stays. Conclusion: The incidence of superinfections in critically ill COVID-19 patients was 55.3%, and multidrug-resistant pathogens were dominant. Elevated ferritin levels and neutrophilia at ICU admission were associated with increased ICU mortality in patients with positive LRTI.

Severe COVID-19 pneumonia in which mechanical ventilation is unable to achieve adequate gas exchange can be treated with veno-venous ECMO, eliminating the need for aggressive mechanical ventilation which might promote ventilator-induced lung injury and increase mortality. In this retrospective observational study, 18 critically ill COVID-19 patients who were treated using V-V ECMO during an 11-month period in a tertiary COVID-19 hospital were analyzed. Biomarkers of inflammation and clinical features were compared between survivors and non-survivors. Survival rates were compared between patients receiving ECMO and propensity matched mechanically ventilated controls. There were 7 survivors and 11 non-survivors. The survivors were significantly younger, with a higher proportion of females, higher serum procalcitonin at ICU admission, and before initiation of ECMO they had significantly lower Murray scores, PaCO2, WBC counts, serum ferritin levels, and higher glomerular filtration rates. No significant difference in mortality was found between patients treated with ECMO compared to patients treated using conventional lung protective ventilation. Hypercapnia, leukocytosis, reduced glomerular filtration rate, and increased serum ferritin levels prior to initiation of V-V ECMO in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia may be early warning signs of reduced chance of survival. Further multicentric studies are needed to confirm these findings.