PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Anish R. Mitra
AU  - Nicholas A. Fergusson
AU  - Elisa Lloyd-Smith
AU  - Andrew Wormsbecker
AU  - Denise Foster
AU  - Andrei Karpov
AU  - Sarah Crowe
AU  - Greg Haljan
AU  - Dean R. Chittock
AU  - Hussein D. Kanji
AU  - Mypinder S. Sekhon
AU  - Donald E.G. Griesdale
TI  - Baseline characteristics and outcomes of patients with COVID-19 admitted to intensive care units in Vancouver, Canada: a case series
AID  - 10.1503/cmaj.200794
DP  - 2020 Jan 01
TA  - Canadian Medical Association Journal
PG  - cmaj.200794
4099  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/early/2020/05/27/cmaj.200794.short
4100  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/early/2020/05/27/cmaj.200794.full
AB  - Background: Pandemic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is associated with high intensive care unit (ICU) mortality. We aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a Canadian setting.Methods: We conducted a retrospective case series of critically ill patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection consecutively admitted to 1 of 6 ICUs in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, between Feb. 21 and Apr. 14, 2020. Demographic, management and outcome data were collected by review of patient charts and electronic medical records.Results: Between Feb. 21 and Apr. 14, 2020, 117 patients were admitted to the ICU with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. The median age was 69 (interquartile range [IQR] 60–75) years, and 38 (32.5%) were female. At least 1 comorbidity was present in 86 (73.5%) patients. Invasive mechanical ventilation was required in 74 (63.2%) patients. The duration of mechanical ventilation was 13.5 (IQR 8–22) days overall and 11 (IQR 6–16) days for patients successfully discharged from the ICU. Tocilizumab was administered to 4 patients and hydroxychloroquine to 1 patient. As of May 5, 2020, a total of 18 (15.4%) patients had died, 12 (10.3%) remained in the ICU, 16 (13.7%) were discharged from the ICU but remained in hospital, and 71 (60.7%) were discharged home.Interpretation: In our setting, mortality in critically ill patients with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU was lower than in previously published studies. These data suggest that the prognosis associated with critical illness due to COVID-19 may not be as poor as previously reported.