Oxygen and Mortality in COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Comparative Analysis of Supplemental Oxygen Policies and Health Outcomes Across 26 Countries.

ABSTRACT: Introduction: Hypoxia is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in COVID-19. During the COVID-19 pandemic, some countries have reduced access to supplemental oxygen, whereas other nations have maintained and even improved access to supplemental oxygen. We examined whether variation in the nationally determined oxygen guidelines had any association with national mortality rates in COVID-19. Methods: Three independent investigators searched for, identified, and extracted the nationally recommended target oxygen levels for the commencement of oxygen in COVID-19 pneumonia from the 29 worst affected countries. Mortality estimates were calculated from three independent sources. We then applied both parametric (Pearson's R) and non-parametric (Kendall's Tau B) tests of bivariate

SUBMITTER: Mansab F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8313806 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature