Modulation of the Association Between Age and Death by Risk Factor Burden in Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19.

Link: https://doi.org/10.1097/CCE.0000000000000755
Authors: Sunderraj, Ashwin; Cho, Chloe; Cai, Xuan; Gupta, Shruti; Mehta, Rupal; Isakova, Tamara; Leaf, David E; Srivastava, Anand; ,

Abstract: Older age is a key risk factor for adverse outcomes in critically ill patients with COVID-19. However, few studies have investigated whether preexisting comorbidities and acute physiologic ICU factors modify the association between age and death. Multicenter cohort study. ICUs at 68 hospitals across the United States. A total of 5,037 critically ill adults with COVID-19 admitted to ICUs between March 1, 2020, and July 1, 2020. None. In a large population of critically ill patients with COVID-19, age had an independent exponential association with death. The number of preexisting comorbidities and acute physiologic ICU factors modified the association between age and death, but age still had an exponential association with death in subgroups according to the number of risk factors present. Additional studies are needed to identify the mechanisms underpinning why older age confers an increased risk of death in critically ill patients with COVID-19.