Mortality Predictors among COVID-19 Patients Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit in Sulaymaniyah City, Iraq: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and objectives: On February 22, 2020, Iraq confirmed the first case of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The number of confirmed cases in Sulaimaniyah city reached 152,846, with 3,178 deaths. Our objective was to assess the clinical characteristics and identify variables that may predict mortality of COVID-19 cases in the intensive care unit. Methods: Our cross-sectional study involved patients who were diagnosed with laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 and admitted to the intensive care unit of Shaheed Dr. Hemn Hospital/ Sulaymaniyah/ Iraqi Kurdistan from January 15, 2021, to April 29, 2022. Collected data included the patient's demographic characteristics, vital signs, hematological parameters, and management as documented in the patient's medical records. Patients were separated to two groups: those who were discharged and those who were dead. The binary logistic regression model was used to identify independent factors that predict mortality. Results: During the study period, 403 patients were admitted to the intensive care unit. Case fatality rate was high 69.2%. The patient’s average age was 61.42 ±13.17 years, and 249 (61.8%) of them were men. The majority of the patients 319 (79.2%) had comorbidities. Lymphocytopenia was observed in 306 (75.9%) of the patients and there was a statistically significant difference between discharged and death groups (p value 0.021). Remdesivir was given to 185 patients (45.9%) and there was a statistically significant difference between discharged and death groups, p-value <0.001. Conclusions: Critically ill patients with COVID-19 had a high mortality rate in the intensive care unit. low SBP, GCS<15, high D. dimer, and poor oxygen saturation were considered predictor factors of mortality.