Clinical characteristics and outcomes of critically Ill patients with COVID-19 in Northeast Ohio: low mortality and length of stay

Background: Published coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reports suggest higher mortality with increasing age and comorbidities. Our study describes the clinical characteristics and outcomes for all intensive care unit (ICU) patients admitted across the Cleveland Clinic enterprise, a 10-hospital health care system in Northeast Ohio, serving more than 2.7 million people.

Methods: We analyzed the quality data registry for clinical characteristics and outcomes of all COVID-19-confirmed ICU admissions. Differences in outcomes from other health care systems and published cohorts from other parts of the world were delineated.

Results: Across our health care system, 495 COVID-19 patients were admitted from March 15 to June 1, 2020. Mean patient age was 67.3 years, 206 (41.6%) were females, and 289 (58.4%) were males. Mean Acute Physiology Score was 45.3, and mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III score was 60.5. In total, 215 patients (43.3%) were intubated for a mean duration of 9.2 days. Mean ICU and hospital length of stay were 7.4 and 13.9 days, respectively, while mean ICU and hospital mortality rates were 18.4% and 23.8%.

Conclusions: Our health care system cohort is the fourth largest to be reported. Lower ICU and hospital mortality and length of stay were seen compared to most other published reports. Better preparedness and state-level control of the surge in COVID-19 infections are likely the reasons for these better outcomes. Future research is needed to further delineate differences in mortality and length of stay across health care systems and over time.