Results
Overall, 585 medical records were evaluated for eligibility in March 2021; of these, 188 were excluded (Fig. 1). Thus, 397 patients admitted to the ICU with SARS due to COVID‑19 and in need of IMV participated in this study. Of these, 59.70% were men with a mean age of 61.04 ± 0.76 years (range 20–111 years). Of the patients aged >60 years, 62.17% were men and 37.83% were women.
The prevalence of death in individuals with SARS due to COVID‑19 was 46.10% (63.93% in men and 36.07% in women). Data regarding the prevalence and association of in-hospital death in patients with SARS due to COVID‑19 are presented in Table 1. The bivariate analysis indicated that in-hospital death in patients with SARS due to COVID‑19 was associated with the age of >60 years (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.61; 95% CI: 1.26–2.04, p  = 0.000). In addition, not having a diagnosis of hyperthyroidism (PR = 0.46; 95% CI: 0.41–0.51, p  = 0.000), asthma (PR = 0.46; 95% CI: 0.41–0.51,p  = 0.000), or liver failure (PR = 0.46; 95% CI: 0.41–0.51,p  = 0.000) and not being a smoker (PR = 0.61; 95% CI: 0.46–0.82, p  = 0.002) were considered protective factors for mortality in individuals with SARS due to COVID‑19.
Pronation at some point during hospitalization (PR = 1.30; 95% CI: 1.03–1.64, p  = 0.028), use of azithromycin (RP = 1.36; 95% CI: 1.09–1.69, p  = 0.005), and use of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine (PR = 1.76; 95% CI: 1.121–2.77, p  = 0.014) were associated with the mortality of patients hospitalized with SARS due to COVID‑19.
The variables included in the multiple regression analysis are shown in Table 2. After the multiple regression analysis, the age of >60 years (p  = 0.000) and use of azithromycin (p  = 0.012) remained independently associated with the mortality of patients with SARS due to COVID‑19.