Background & Objectives: The
COVID-۱۹ pandemic has had a devastating global impact, with millions of cases and varying severity of illness. Southeastern
Iran has been particularly hard hit, with a high number of patients requiring hospitalization. This study aimed to identify risk factors associated with mortality from
COVID-۱۹ among hospitalized patients in this region.
Materials & Methods: A case-control study compared hospitalized
COVID-۱۹ patients who succumbed to the disease (confirmed by death certificates and positive PCR tests) with those who recovered, from February ۲۷, ۲۰۲۰, to June ۳۰, ۲۰۲۱. Researchers analyzed data using t-tests and chi-square tests to identify significant factors associated with mortality (p < ۰.۰۵). Variables significant at a less stringent level (p < ۰.۲) were then included in a backward logistic regression model to explore independent predictors of mortality.
Results: This retrospective study examined data from ۴۷۳ patients, of whom ۱۵۸ were in the case group and ۳۱۵ were in the control group. Among the case group, ۸۰.۴% were elderly, compared to ۴۱% in the control group. A significantly higher proportion of patients in the case group (۱۲.۷%) experienced critical symptoms leading to ICU hospitalization, compared to the control group (۷.۳%). Multivariable regression analysis identified several factors significantly associated with increased mortality risk. These included ICU hospitalization (OR=۵.۲۷, CI: ۳.۰۹-۸.۹۸), advanced age (OR=۴.۰۶, CI: ۲.۴۳-۶.۸۰), hypertension (OR=۴.۴۴, CI: ۱.۵۲-۱۲.۹۳), cardiovascular diseases (OR=۲.۵۶, CI: ۱.۱-۵.۹۸), and critical symptoms (OR=۲.۷۴, CI: ۱.۹۲-۸.۰۴). Diabetes, pregnancy, nationality, and gender did not statistically increase mortality risk (p-value ≥ ۰.۰۵).
Conclusion: Advanced age, severe symptoms requiring ICU care, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases are all critical mortality risk factors in hospitalized
COVID-۱۹ patients.
