Abstract

Background & objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a major public health emergency affecting the healthcare services all over the world. It is essential to analyse the epidemiologicalandclinicalcharacteristicsofpatientswithCOVID19indifferentpartsofourcountry.Thisstudyhighlights clinical experience in managing patients with COVID-19 at a tertiary care centre in northernIndia.
Methods:Clinicalcharacteristicsandoutcomesofconsecutiveadultpatientsadmittedtoatertiarycare hospitalatAll India Institute of medical Sciences, Patna, Bihar,India,from August12020 toJanuary 31,2021werestudied.ThediagnosisofSARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on throat and/or nasopharyngeal swabs. All patients were managed according to the institute’s consensus protocol and in accordance with Indian Council of Medical Researchguidelines.
Results: During the study period, 283 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection were admitted. The history of contact with COVID-19-affected individuals was available in only29 patients. The median age of the patients was 53.85 years (15-95 years), and there were 217 (76.67 %) males. Of the total enrolled patients, only 19 patients (7%)were asymptomatic and rest 264 patients (93%) were symptomatic.Thecommonpresentingcomplaintswerefever in 231 patients(81 %),cough in 217 patients(76 %) and shortness of breath in 204 patients (72%). Out of 283 patients enrolled for the study, 113 patients (39%) had Hypertension as an accompanying comorbid illness, 122 (43%) had Diabetes mellitus, CKD and Hypothyroidism each in 8% of patients, CAD & COPD in 7% and 6% patients respectively
Agemorethan60yearsandpresenceofdiabetesandhypertensionweresignificantlyassociatedwith severeCOVID-19disease.Mortalityof 65 patients ( 23%) wasobserved.
Interpretation&conclusions:MajorityofthepatientswithCOVID-19infectionpresentingtoourhospital were elderly and symptomatic. Fever was noted only in three-fourth of the patients and respiratory symptoms in more than half of the enrolled patients. Patients with comorbidities were more vulnerable to complications. Certain Inflammatory markers like serum CRP, Ferritin, LDH, & D-Dimer have define prognostic value. Triaged classificationofpatientsandprotocol-basedtreatmentresultedingoodoutcomesandlowcasefatality.