Differences and Similarities Among COVID-19 Patients Treated in Seven ICUs in Three Countries Within One Region: An Observational Cohort Study*
OBJECTIVES:
To investigate healthcare system–driven variation in general characteristics, interventions, and outcomes in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients admitted to the ICU within one Western European region across three countries.
DESIGN:
Multicenter observational cohort study.
SETTING:
Seven ICUs in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine, one region across Belgium, The Netherlands, and Germany.
PATIENTS:
Consecutive COVID-19 patients supported in the ICU during the first pandemic wave.
INTERVENTIONS:
None.
MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:
Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics, laboratory values, and outcome data were retrieved after ethical approval and data-sharing agreements. Descriptive statistics were performed to investigate country-related practice variation. From March 2, 2020, to August 12, 2020, 551 patients were admitted. Mean age was 65.4 ± 11.2 years, and 29% were female. At admission, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores were 15.0 ± 5.5, 16.8 ± 5.5, and 15.8 ± 5.3 (p = 0.002), and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores were 4.4 ± 2.7, 7.4 ± 2.2, and 7.7 ± 3.2 (p
Source: Critical Care Medicine - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Clinical Investigations Source Type: research
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