OUTCOME OF SEVERE/CRITICAL COVID-19 INFECTION IN PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT DIABETES MELLITUS

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To compare outcomes of COVID-19 infection in patients with and without diabetes mellitus (DM).

METHODS: This retrospective chart review study was conducted on patients with COVID-19 infection admitted in Department of Medicine, Combined Military Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan from Jan 2020 to August 2021. Diagnosis of COVID-19 infection was based on a positive PCR for SARS-CoV-2. Using consecutive sampling technique, medical records of all patients with severe/ critical disease were scrutinized. Patients with incomplete data and those with a negative PCR despite suggestive radiological findings were excluded. Duration of hospital stay and in-hospital mortality were compared amongst patients with and without DM.

RESULTS: There were a total of 279 patients including 216 (77.42%) males. Of these, 92 (32.97%) had DM. Their mean age was 52.53±11.31 years. Duration of hospital stay was 10.18± 3.13 days in the overall cohort. There was a trend towards longer stay (10.70±3.51 days) in patients with DM as compared to 9.92±2.91 days in patients without DM (p= 0.052). In-hospital mortality was 46.74% (n=43/92) in patients with DM as compared to 28.34% (n=53/187) patients without DM (p=0.002). Hazard ratio for death in patients with DM was 1.673 (95% CI 1.207, 2.319).

CONCLUSION: Pre-existing diabetes is associated with higher mortality rates in COVID-19 infection.