Clinical characteristics and factors associated with admission to intensive care units in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Lyon University Hospitals, France

Introduction: A new respiratory virus, SARS-CoV-2, has emerged and spread worldwide since late 2019. This study aims at analyzing clinical presentation on admission and the determinants associated with direct admission or transfer to intensive care units (ICUs) in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Patients and Methods: In this prospective hospital-based study, socio-demographic, clinical and biological characteristics, on admission, of adult COVID-19 hospitalized patients were prospectively collected and analyzed. The outcome was admission/transfer to intensive care units compared with total hospital stay in medical wards according to patient characteristics. Results: Of the 412 patients included, 325 were discharged and 87 died in hospital. Multivariable regression showed increasing odds of admission/transfer to ICUs with male gender (OR, 1.99 [95%CI, 1.07-3.73]), temperature (OR, 1.37 [95% CI, 1.01-1.88] per degree Celsius increase), abnormal lung auscultation on admission (OR, 2.62 [95% CI, 1.40-4.90]), elevated level of CRP (OR, 6.96 [95% CI, 1.45-33.35 for CRP>100mg/L vs CRP<10mg/L). Increased time was observed between symptom onset and hospital admission (OR, 4.82 [95% CI, 1.61-14.43] for time >10 days vs time <3 days) and monocytopenia (OR, 2.49 [95% CI, 1.29-4.82]). Monocytosis was associated with lower risk of admission/transfer to ICUs (OR, 0.25 [95% CI, 0.05-1.13]). Conclusions: Clinical and biological features on admission and time until admission were associated with admission to ICUs. Signs to predict worsening on admission could be partially associated with the time until admission. This finding reinforces the need for appropriate guidelines to manage COVID-19 patients in this time window.