Mortality and associated risk factors in patients with COVID-19 A hospital-based study in Ecuador

Resumen

Background: Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, increased mortality has been reported in Ecuador, with an additional 59,000 deaths during 2019–2020, approximately doubling the mortality from other causes. Although Latin America has faced epidemics of non-communicable diseases over the past decades, the devastating effect of COVID-19 is unprecedented. This study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and risk factors observed in patients with COVID-19 treated in a general hospital in Ecuador. Methods: This hospital-based study was conducted from March to July 2020. We obtained data from the clinical records of 157 adult men and women diagnosed with COVID-19 using the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test and admitted to an emergency service room. We used descriptive statistics and performed a chi-square test and logistic regression analysis to analyze the associations between the categorical variables. Results: We found that the overall mortality rate was 37 % and was higher in men (39 %) than in women (31 %). We observed a high prevalence of comorbidities (45 %) related to non-communicable diseases, particularly diabetes and hypertension, significantly associated with mortality rates. Similarly, distribution by gender and abnormalities in blood markers such as leukocytes, PO2, and D-dimer increased the risk of death. Conclusions: The high and extensive prevalence of non-communicable diseases was a risk factor for high mortality among patients diagnosed with COVID-19. In Latin American countries, healthcare systems continue to experience severe challenges in treating patients with such comorbid health conditions.