Evaluation of clinical and laboratory characteristics and factors affecting mortality in 500 hospitalized COVID-19 patients: A retrospective study.

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical and laboratory characteristics of COVID-19 patients admitted to Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey, and to determine the factors affecting mortality.

Methods: A total of 500 patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 between 19th of March and 30th of September 2020 in Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University, Faculty of Medicine, Pandemic Service, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey, were retrospectively investigated for this study. These individuals' prognoses, demographic, clinical, laboratory, and radiological information were examined and recorded retrospectively. Comparisons were carried out between the characteristics of patients with a prognosis of death and those who recovered.

Results: Of the 500 definite COVID-19 cases included in the study, 53.8% were male and the mean age was 57.6±15.1 (18-88 years). The most common comorbidities were hypertension and diabetes mellitus. A total of 45 (9%) patients developed mortality. Factors such as advanced age, male gender, shortness of breath, fever at admission, comorbid conditions such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, lymphopenia, high C-reactive protein, high D-dimer, and high ferritin in the laboratory were found to be important risk factors for mortality. Treatments such as hydroxychloroquine, favipiravir, and lopinavir/ritonavir were not found to have lower mortality rates than one another.

Conclusion: Considering these elements when assessing patients and adjusting the course of treatment according to the recommendations of the most recent guidelines may lower mortality.