A Survey on the First 100 COVID-19 Patients Admitted to a Referral Center in Northern Iran in Early 2020

Hamideh  Abbaspour Kasgari; Siavash Moradi; Farhang Babamahmoodi; Amir Mohammad Shabani; Lotfollah Davoodi; Alireza Davoudi Badabi

doi:10.18502/pbr.v8i1.9386

Hamideh Abbaspour Kasgari Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Siavash Moradi Education Development Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
Farhang Babamahmoodi Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Amir Mohammad Shabani Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Lotfollah Davoodi Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
Alireza Davoudi Badabi Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/pbr.v8i1.9386

Keywords: Coronavirus, COVID-19, Iran, Epidemiology, Clinical

Abstract

Background: Lymphopenia is an important but nonspecific laboratory indicator of COVID-19.

Objectives: To describe epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of the first cases of the COVID-19 referred to a center dedicated to COVID-19 patients in Iran.

Methods: This research is a retrospective cross-sectional study on 100 confirmed cases with COVID-19, hospitalized from February 25 to March 10, 2020, in Qaemshahr Razi Hospital in Mazandaran Province, Iran. The main demographic data, clinical features, including outcomes, laboratory findings, and therapeutic protocols, were collected in a structured form and analyzed.

Results: The Mean±SD age of the patients was 56.7±15.6 years. Fifty-nine percent (n=59) of the patients were male. Nineteen percent (n=19) were admitted to the ICU. The median (IQR) time from disease onset to hospital admission was 5 (3-7) days. The most common symptoms were fever (73%), dyspnea (67%), dry cough (61%), and myalgia (61%). The severity of the disease was moderate in most patients (n=54). The average hospital stay for patients was 7 days. The non-survivor cases in comparison to survived ones were from a higher age group (65 vs 52 years; P=0.001), had a higher frequency of underlying diseases (68.4% vs 39.5%; P=0.039), had a lower peripheral capillary O2 saturation at the time of admission (79% vs 94%; P<0.001), and were more likely to have lymphopenia (63.2% vs 37%; P=0.034).

Conclusion: Lymphopenia, increased neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and decreased peripheral capillary O2 saturation are commonly seen in COVID-19 patients, especially among severe cases, and can be used in developing clinical prediction rules.