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Table 1 Characteristics of the patients hospitalized for COVID-19 included in the study (n = 253)

From: Impact of previous exposure to systemic corticosteroids on unfavorable outcome in patients hospitalized for COVID-19

 

Total

(n = 253)

Exposure to corticosteroids

Admission to ICU, mechanical ventilation, or death during the first 14 days

No

(n = 236)

Yes

(n = 17)

No

(n = 133)

Yes

(n = 120)

Age (years)

 Median (IQR)

65 (54–76)

64 (54–76)

73 (62–82)

62 (50–75)

68 (58–78)

  ≥ 65 years, n (%)

128 (50.6)

117 (49.6)

11 (64.7)

59 (44.4)

69 (57.5)

Sex

 Male, n (%)

150 (59.3)

141 (59.7)

9 (52.9)

69 (51.9)

81 (67.5)

 Female, n (%)

103 (40.7)

95 (40.3)

8 (47.1)

64 (48.1)

39 (32.5)

Comorbidities

  ≥ 1 comorbidity, n (%)

218 (86.2)

201 (85.2)

17 (100)

111 (83.5)

107 (89.2)

 Overweight, (BMI: 25–30 kg/m2), n (%)

85 (36.2)

79 (35.6)

6 (46.2)

43 (36.1)

42 (36.2)

 Obesity, (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2), n (%)

68 (28.9)

65 (29.3)

3 (23.1)

28 (23.5)

40 (34.5)

 Hypertension, n (%)

102 (40.3)

92 (39.0)

10 (58.8)

46 (34.6)

56 (46.7)

 Heart failure, n (%)

10 (4.0)

9 (3.8)

1 (5.9)

5 (3.8)

5 (4.2)

 History of coronary disease, n (%)

24 (9.5)

20 (8.5)

4 (23.5)

9 (6.8)

15 (12.5)

 History of cardiac surgery, n (%)

3 (1.2)

2 (0.9)

1 (5.9)

2 (1.5)

1 (0.8)

 History of cerebrovascular disease, n (%)

16 (6.3)

14 (6.0)

2 (11.8)

8 (6.0)

8 (6.7)

 Diabetes, n (%)

49 (19.4)

43 (18.2)

6 (35.3)

20 (15.0)

29 (24.2)

 Chronic lung disease, n (%)

54 (21.3)

45 (19.7)

9 (52.9)

24 (18.1)

30 (25.0)

 Chronic kidney disease, n (%)

23 (9.1)

19 (8.1)

4 (23.5)

11 (8.3)

12 (10.0)

 Chronic liver disease, n (%)

2 (0.8)

1 (0.4)

1 (5.9)

0 (0)

2 (1.7)

 Malignancy, n (%)

27 (10.7)

22 (9.3)

5 (29.4)

12 (9.0)

15 (12.5)

 Immunosuppression, n (%)

20 (7.9)

10 (4.2)

10 (58.8)

8 (6.0)

12 (10.0)

Time between first symptoms and hospital admission, median (IQR)a

7 (4–10)

7 (5–10)

4 (2–4)

7 (4–10)

7 (4–9)

At hospital admission

 Oxygen saturation ≤ 92% or need of oxygen therapy, n (%) a

116 (46.2)

110 (46.8)

6 (37.5)

33 (25.0)

83 (69.8)

 C-reactive protein level, > 50 mg/L, n (%) a

129 (51.8)

122 (52.6)

7 (41.2)

53 (39.9)

76 (65.5)

 Platelets count, <  150 × 109/L, n (%) a

63 (25.3)

58 (25.0)

5 (29.4)

20 (15.3)

43 (36.4)

 Lymphocytes, <  1.5 × 109/L, n (%) a

185 (83.0)

173 (83.2)

12 (80.0)

84 (74.3)

101 (91.8)

Chest CT-scan severity score

 Absence or mild, n (%)

44 (17.4)

42 (17.8)

2 (11.8)

27 (20.3)

17 (14.2)

 Moderate, severe, or critical, n (%)

209 (82.6)

194 (82.2)

15 (88.2)

106 (79.7)

103 (85.8)

Exposure to corticosteroids, n (%)

17 (6.7)

17 (100)

7 (5.3)

10 (8.3)

Composite outcome, n (%)

120 (47.4)

110 (46.6)

10 (58.8)

120 (100)

 Admission to ICU, n (%)

109 (43.1)

102 (43.2)

7 (41.2)

109 (90.8)

 Mechanical ventilation, n (%)

61 (24.1)

58 (24.6)

3 (17.7)

61 (50.8)

 Death, n (%)

19 (7.5)

14 (5.9)

5 (29.4)

19 (15.8)

  1. Abbreviations: BMI body mass index, CT computed tomography, ICU intensive care unit, IQR interquartile range
  2. aMissing data: body mass index, n = 18; time between first symptoms and hospital admission, n = 2; oxygen saturation, n = 2; C-reactive protein, n = 2, platelets count, n = 4; lymphocytes, n = 30