Characteristics and mortality of Mexican patients with COVID-19 and mechanical ventilation

Álvarez-Maldonado, Pablo; Hernández-Ríos, Grisel; Ambríz-Mondragón, Julio C; Gordillo-Mena, Julián A; Morales-Serrano, Diana F; Reding-Bernal, Arturo; Hernández-Solis, Alejandro

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19-associated mortality in patients who require mechanical ventilation is unknown in the Mexican population. OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics of Mexican patients with COVID-19 who required mechanical ventilation. METHODS: Observational cohort study carried out in an intensive care unit from March 25 to July 17, 2020. Data were obtained from a prospective database and electronic medical records, and were analyzed with the chi-square test, Fisher's exact test or Mann-Whitney's U-test. RESULTS: One hundred patients required mechanical ventilation; median age was 56 years, 31 % were females and 97 % were Latin American. Most common comorbidities were obesity (36 %), diabetes (26 %), hypertension (20 %), and chronic or end-stage kidney disease (10 %). At the end of the analysis, 11 patients remained in the ICU, 31 had been discharged alive and 58 (65.2 %) died; survivors were younger, had lower scores on severity and organ dysfunction scales, lower levels of C-reactive protein at ICU admission, were less likely to receive hemodialysis and vasopressors, and had longer hospital and ICU stays. CONCLUSIONS: This study adds information on the presentation and results of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients who require mechanical ventilation.