Did COVID-19 ICU patient mortality risk increase as Colorado hospitals filled? A retrospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To assess whether increasing levels of hospital stress-measured by intensive care unit (ICU) bed occupancy (primary), ventilators in use and emergency department (ED) overflow-were associated with decreasing COVID-19 ICU patient survival in Colorado ICUs during the pre-Delta, Delta and Omicron variant eras.

Design

A retrospective cohort study using discrete-time survival models, fit with generalised estimating equations.

Setting

34 hospital systems in Colorado, USA, with the highest patient volume ICUs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Participants

9196 non-paediatric SARS-CoV-2 patients in Colorado hospitals admitted once to an ICU between 1 August 2020 and 1 March 2022 and followed for 28 days.

Outcome measures

Death or discharge to hospice.

SUBMITTER: Johnson DR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11086500 | biostudies-literature | 2024 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature