THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS AND UNDERLYING DISEASES WITH THE DISCHARGE STATUS OF COVID-19 PATIENTS IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

COVID-19 is an infectious disease that emerged as a pandemic in a short period. Pandemics are accompanied by high transmission rates and significant mortality. From a medical perspective, during all pandemics, the examination of individuals at risk due to chronic drug use or the presence of any underlying disease is crucial. The aim of this analytical-descriptive study was to investigate the relationship between demographic characteristics and underlying diseases with the discharge status of the patients with COVID-19 in the Intensive Care Unit.

In this study, the records of 430 patients with confirmed positive PCR tests, who were hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit of Imam Khomeini Hospital from March 2020 to March 2021were included using a census method. Incomplete or inaccessible records were excluded. Demographic data (gender, age, marital status, etc.) and the history of underlying diseases (blood pressure, diabetes, heart conditions, etc.) were extracted from the records. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and hypothesis testing (t-test, chi-square) in SPSS software version 22.

Out of 430 affected patients, 257 individuals (59.8%) were male, and 173 individuals (40.2%) were female. Among the deceased, 173 individuals (63.8%) were male, and 98 individuals (36.2%) were female, and this relationship was statistically significant (P=0.016). Furthermore, the association between hypertension and diabetes with mortality was found to be statistically significant based on the test results (P<0.001).

The present study demonstrated that being male, as well as having hypertension and diabetes, are among the risk factors for both contracting and experiencing mortality due to COVID-19 infection.