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To evaluate the prognostic stratification ability of 4C Mortality Score and COVID-19 Mortality Risk Score in different age groups. Retrospective study, including all patients, presented to the Emergency Department of the University Hospital Careggi, between February, 2020 and May, 2021, and admitted for SARS-CoV2. Patients were divided into four subgroups based on the quartiles of age distribution: patients < 57 years (G1, n = 546), 57-71 years (G2, n = 508), 72-81 years (G3, n = 552), and > 82 years (G4, n = 578). We calculated the 4C Mortality Score and COVID-19 Mortality Risk Score. The end-point was in-hospital mortality. In the whole population (age 68 ± 16 years), the mortality rate was 19% (n = 424), and increased with increasing age (G1: 4%, G2: 11%, G3: 22%, and G4: 39%, p < 0.001). Both scores were higher among non-survivors than survivors in all subgroups (4C-MS, G1: 6 [3-7] vs 3 [2-5]; G2: 10 [7-11] vs 7 [5-8]; G3: 11 [10-14] vs 10 [8-11]; G4: 13 [12-15] vs 11 [10-13], all p < 0.001; COVID-19 MRS, G1: 8 [7-9] vs 9 [9-11], G2: 10 [8-11] vs 11 [10-12]; G3: 11 [10-12] vs 12 [11-13]; G4: 11 [10-13] vs 13 [12-14], all p < 0.01). The ability of both scores to identify patients at higher risk of in-hospital mortality, was similar in different age groups (4C-MS: G1 0.77, G2 0.76, G3 0.68, G4 0.72; COVID-19 MRS: G1 0.67, G2 0.69, G3 0.69, G4 0.72, all p for comparisons between subgroups = NS). Both scores confirmed their good performance in predicting in-hospital mortality in all age groups, despite their different mortality rate., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Medicina Interna (SIMI).)

Background: To test whether known prognosticators of COVID-19 maintained their stratification ability across age groups., Methods: We performed a retrospective study. We included all patients (n = 2225), who presented to the Emergency Department of the Careggi University Hospital for COVID-19 in the period February 2020-May 2021, and were admitted to the hospital. The following parameters were analyzed as dichotomized: 1) SpO 2 /FiO 2  ≤ or > 214; 2) creatinine < or ≥ 1.1 mg/dL; 3) Lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) < or ≥ 250 U/mL; 4) C Reactive Protein (CRP) < or ≥ 60 mg/100 mL. We divided the study population in four subgroups, based on the quartiles of distribution of age (G1 18-57 years, G2 57-71 years, G3 72-81 years, G4 > 82). The primary end-point was in-hospital mortality., Results: By the univariate analysis, the aforementioned dichotomized variables demonstrated a significant association with in-hospital mortality in all subgroups. We introduced them in a multivariate model: in G1 SpO2/FiO2 ≤ 214 (Relative Risk, RR 15.66; 95%CI 3.98-61,74), in G2 creatinine ≥ 1.1 mg/L (RR 2.87, 95%CI 1.30-6.32) and LDH ≥ 250 UI/L (RR 8.71, 95%CI 1,15-65,70), in G3 creatinine ≥ 1.1 mg/L (RR 1.98, 95%CI 1,17-3.36) and CRP ≥ 60 ng/L (RR 2.14, 95%CI 1.23-3.71), in G4 SpO 2 /FiO 2  ≤ 214 (RR 5.15, 95%CI 2.35-11.29), creatinine ≥ 1.1 mg/L (RR 1.75, 95%CI 1.09-2.80) and CRP ≥ 60 ng/L (RR 1.82, 95%CI 1.11-2.98) were independently associated with an increased in-hospital mortality., Conclusions: A mild to moderate respiratory failure showed an independent association with an increased mortality rate only in youngest and oldest patients, while kidney disease maintained a prognostic role regardless of age., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

We tested the prognostic performance of different scores for the identification of subjects with acute respiratory failure by COVID-19, at risk of in-hospital mortality and NIV failure. We conducted a retrospective study, in the Medical High-Dependency Unit of the University-Hospital Careggi. We included all subjects with COVID-19 and ARF requiring non-invasive ventilation (NIV) between March 2020 and January 2021. Clinical parameters, the HACOR score (Heart rate, Acidosis, Consciousness, Oxygenation, Respiratory Rate) and ROX index ((SpO2/FiO2)/respiratory rate) were collected 3 (-3) and 1 day (-1) before the NIV initiation, the first day of treatment (Day0) and after 1 (+1), 2 (+2), 5 (+5), 8 (+8) and 11 (+11) of treatment. The primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and NIV failure. We included 135 subjects, mean age 69±13 years, 69% male. Patients, who needed mechanical ventilation, showed a higher HACOR score (Day0: 6 [5-7] vs 6 [6-7], p=.057; Day+2: 6 [6-6] vs 6 [4-6], p=.013) and a lower ROX index (Day0: 4.2±2.3 vs 5.1±2.3, p=.055; Day+2: 4.4±1.2.vs 5.5±1.3, p=.001) than those with successful NIV. An HACOR score >5 was more frequent among nonsurvivors (Day0: 82% vs 58%; Day2: 82% vs 48%, all p<0.01) and it was associated with in-hospital mortality (Day0: RR 5.88, 95%CI 2.01-17.22; Day2: RR 4.33, 95%CI 1.64-11.41) independent to age and Charlson index. In conclusion, in subjects treated with NIV for ARF caused by COVID19, respiratory parameters collected after the beginning of NIV allowed to identify those at risk of an adverse outcome. An HACOR score >5 was independently associated with increased mortality rate., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the lower limbs, using serial compression ultrasound (CUS) surveillance, in acutely ill patients with COVID-19 pneumonia admitted to a non-ICU setting., Methods: Multicenter, prospective study of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia admitted to Internal Medicine units. All patients were screened for DVT of the lower limbs with serial CUS. Anticoagulation was defined as: low dose (enoxaparin 20-40 mg/day or fondaparinux 1.5-2.5 mg/day); intermediate dose (enoxaparin 60-80 mg/day); high dose (enoxaparin 120-160 mg or fondaparinux 5-10 mg/day or oral anticoagulation). The primary end-point of the study was the diagnosis of DVT by CUS., Results: Over a two-month period, 227 consecutive patients with moderate-severe COVID-19 pneumonia were enrolled. The incidence of DVT was 13.7% (6.2% proximal, 7.5% distal), mostly asymptomatic. All patients received anticoagulation (enoxaparin 95.6%) at the following doses: low 57.3%, intermediate 22.9%, high 19.8%. Patients with and without DVT had similar characteristics, and no difference in anticoagulant regimen was observed. DVT patients were older (mean 77±9.6 vs 71±13.1 years; p = 0.042) and had higher peak D-dimer levels (5403 vs 1723 ng/mL; p = 0.004). At ROC analysis peak D-dimer level >2000 ng/mL (AUC 0.703; 95% CI 0.572-0.834; p = 0.004) was the most accurate cut-off value able to predict DVT (RR 3.74; 95%CI 1.27-10, p = 0.016)., Conclusions: The incidence of DVT in acutely ill patients with COVID-19 pneumonia is relevant. A surveillance protocol by serial CUS of the lower limbs is useful to timely identify DVT that would go otherwise largely undetected., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. On behalf of all coauthors the corresponding author. Filippo Pieralli MD