Characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital with and without respiratory symptoms.
Journal
Heliyon
Series/Report No.
Heliyon
Journal Volume
10
Journal Issue
10
Start Page
e29591
ISSN
2405-8440
Date Issued
2024-05-30
Author(s)
Citarella, Barbara Wanjiru
Kartsonaki, Christiana
Ibáñez-Prada, Elsa D
Gonçalves, Bronner P
Baruch, Joaquin
Escher, Martina
Pritchard, Mark G
Wei, Jia
Philippy, Fred
Kutsogiannis, Demetrios James
Fernandes, Marília Andreia
Tirupakuzhi Vijayaraghavan, Bharath Kumar
et al.
DOI
10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29591
Abstract
Background: COVID-19 is primarily known as a respiratory illness; however, many patients present to hospital without respiratory symptoms. The association between non-respiratory presentations of COVID-19 and outcomes remains unclear. We investigated risk factors and clinical outcomes in patients with no respiratory symptoms (NRS) and respiratory symptoms (RS) at hospital admission.
Methods: This study describes clinical features, physiological parameters, and outcomes of hospitalised COVID-19 patients, stratified by the presence or absence of respiratory symptoms at hospital admission. RS patients had one or more of: cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, runny nose or wheezing; while NRS patients did not.
Results: Of 178,640 patients in the study, 86.4 % presented with RS, while 13.6 % had NRS. NRS patients were older (median age: NRS: 74 vs RS: 65) and less likely to be admitted to the ICU (NRS: 36.7 % vs RS: 37.5 %). NRS patients had a higher crude in-hospital case-fatality ratio (NRS 41.1 % vs. RS 32.0 %), but a lower risk of death after adjusting for confounders (HR 0.88 [0.83-0.93]).
Conclusion: Approximately one in seven COVID-19 patients presented at hospital admission without respiratory symptoms. These patients were older, had lower ICU admission rates, and had a lower risk of in-hospital mortality after adjusting for confounders.
Subjects
COVID-19
Mortality
Non-respiratory symptoms
Respiratory symptoms
Risk factors
Publisher
Elsevier Ltd
Type
journal article