The COVID-19 Critical Care Consortium observational study: Design and rationale of a prospective, international, multicenter, observational study

Li Bassi, G.; Suen, J.; Barnett, A. G.; Corley, A.; Millar, J. E.; Fanning, J. P.; Lye, I.; Colombo, S.; Wildi, K.; Livingstone, S.; Abbate, G.; Hinton, S.; Liquet, B.; Shrapnel, S.; Dalton, H. J.; Fraser, J. F.

Importance: There is a paucity of data that can be used to guide the management of critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Global collaboration offers the best chance of obtaining these data, at scale and in time. In the absence of effective therapies, insights derived from real-time observational data will be a crucial means of improving outcomes. Objective: In response to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, a research and data-sharing collaborative has been assembled to harness the cumulative experience of intensive care units (ICUs) worldwide. The resulting observational study provides a platform to rapidly disseminate detailed data and insights. Design: The COVID-19 Critical Care Consortium observational study is an international, multicenter, prospective, observational study of patients with confirmed or suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to ICUs. Setting: This is an evolving, open-ended study that commenced on January 1st, 2020 and currently includes more than 350 sites in over 48 countries. The study enrolls patients at the time of ICU admission and follows them to the time of death, hospital discharge, or 28 days post-ICU admission, whichever occurs last. Participants: All subjects, without age limit, requiring admission to an ICU for SARS-CoV-2 infection, confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and/or next-generation sequencing or with high clinical suspicion of the infection. Patients admitted to an ICU for any other reason are excluded. Main outcomes and measures: Key data, collected via an electronic case report form devised in collaboration with the ISARIC/SPRINT-SARI networks, include: patient demographic data and risk factors, clinical features, severity of illness and respiratory failure, need for non-invasive and/or mechanical ventilation and/or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and associated complications, as well as data on adjunctive therapies. Final outcomes of in-hospital death, discharge or continuing admissions at 28 days. Discussion: This large-scale, observational study of COVID-19 in the critically ill will provide rapid international characterization. Open-ended accrual will increase the power to answer hypothesis-led questions over time. Several sub-studies have already been initiated, examining hemostasis, neurological, cardiac, and long-term outcomes.