COVID-19 Mechanical Ventilation Patient Outcomes at a Community Academic Medical Center

Abstract

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 virus known as the COVID-19 pandemic has been responsible for progressive pulmonary decompensation in many individuals that acquire the virus. Unfortunately, a percentage of these individuals require mechanical ventilation associated with a high degree of mortality. This was apparent during the early surges of the pandemic prior to vaccine availability. We assessed our patients that required mechanical ventilation secondary to COVID-19 in terms of mortality, demographics, and vaccine administration.

Methods: Patient population data was collected retrospective between March 20, 2020, through June 30, 2022, from chart reviews from the patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19. This data was based on patients who were tested positive with COVID-19 through PCR testing and then required mechanical ventilation during their hospitalization. These patients were admitted at various Lehigh Valley Heath Network Campuses during this time frame. Patient demographics and vaccine status were collected and recorded.

Results: Data collection was obtained during the four major COVID-19 surges (Alpha, Alpha-Gamma, Delta-Omicron and Omicron variants) with a patient population of n = 975. The mean age of survivor group was 59 y and deceased group was 67 y. Assessment of gender revealed the total patients survived were 582 males and 393 females (Table 1). During the time when the vaccine was readily available, Sept 2021 through June 2022, our data showed 367 patients were eligible to be vaccinated out of which only 95 patients or 26% received a vaccination. 272 patients or 74% did not get vaccinated. From this subset of patient population, the survival rate was 44% in the vaccinated patients compared to 30% in those who were not vaccinated. The mortality rate was 56% in those who were vaccinated compared to 70% in those who were not vaccinated.

Conclusions: In our network, fewer women with COVID-19 required mechanical ventilation than men (393 women, 582 men) and the mortality rate for women was lower than men. After a vaccine was widely available, a large majority (74%) of the patients in our network that required mechanical ventilation were not vaccinated. Vaccinated patients were more likely to survive mechanical ventilation than non-vaccinated patients. Further analysis is needed to identify other factors that may have influenced outcomes.