A single-centred retrospective observational analysis on mortality trends during the COVID-19 pandemic
South African Family Practice
| Field | Value | |
| Title | A single-centred retrospective observational analysis on mortality trends during the COVID-19 pandemic | |
| Creator | Hirachund, Omishka Pennefather, Camilla Naidoo, Mergan | |
| Description | Background: South Africa experienced high mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic. Resources were limited, particularly at the district hospital (DH) level. Overwhelmed healthcare facilities and a lack of research at a primary care level made the management of patients with COVID-19 challenging. The objective of this study was to describe the in-hospital mortality trends among individuals with COVID-19 at a DH in South Africa.Methods: Retrospective observational analysis of all adults who demised in hospital from COVID-19 between 01 March 2020 and 31 August 2021 at a DH in South Africa. Variables analysed included: background history, clinical presentation, investigations and management.Results: Of the 328 participants who demised in hospital, 60.1% were female, 66.5% were older than 60 and 59.6% were of black African descent. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus were the most common comorbidities (61.3% and 47.6%, respectively). The most common symptoms were dyspnoea (83.8%) and cough (70.1%). ‘Ground-glass’ features on admission chest X-rays were visible in 90.0% of participants, and 82.8% had arterial oxygen saturations less than 95% on admission. Renal impairment was the most common complication present on admission (63.7%). The median duration of admission before death was four days (interquartile range [IQR]: 1.5–8). The overall crude fatality rate was 15.3%, with the highest crude fatality rate found in wave two (33.0%).Conclusion: Older participants with uncontrolled comorbidities were most likely to demise from COVID-19. Wave two (characterised by the ‘Beta’ variant) had the highest mortality rate.Contribution: This study provides insight into the risk factors associated with death in a resource-constrained environment. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2023-06-05 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/safp.v65i1.5700 | |
| Source | South African Family Practice; Vol 65, No 1 (2023): Part 3; 9 pages 2078-6204 2078-6190 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/5700/8087
https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/5700/8088
https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/5700/8089
https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/5700/8090
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