In December 2019, a new strain of coronavirus, named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 first appeared in China, and the disease it caused was named COVID-19. The virus spread worldwide in a relatively short time, causing a pandemic to be declared. The purpose of this master's thesis was to retrospectively analyse the treatment of adult patients who were hospitalised due to COVID-19 in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Novo mesto General Hospital between 03. 10. 2020 and 31. 03. 2021.
Data on the medical status of patients and the course of hospitalisation were obtained from the hospital electronic information system, medical charts, and microbiological test results. We also compared the quantitative dispensing of medications by the hospital pharmacy in the ICU during the treatment of patients with COVID-19 with comparable periods in 2017 – 2020. Data were obtained using the pharmacy electronic information system.
Of the 119 patients, 86 (72%) were male, and the median age of all patients was 67 years. 89% of patients (106/119) had at least one concomitant disease and 82% (89/109) had been prescribed chronic therapy on admission to the hospital, with a median of 4 drugs. Exacerbation of respiratory insufficiency in COVID pneumonia was the cause of hospitalisation in 88% of patients (105/119). 86% of patients (102/119) received basic anti-inflammatory and/or antiviral therapy during hospitalisation. 70% of patients (71/102) were prescribed corticosteroid monotherapy, and three patients antiviral drug remdesivir. 27.5% of patients (28/102) were prescribed a combination of corticosteroids and remdesivir. All patients also received oxygen therapy and mechanical ventilation, as well as supportive therapy (median number of drugs 12; more than 90% received low molecular weight heparin, electrolyte balance solutions, and vitamins D and C). 79% of patients (94/119) required antimicrobial therapy (median number of drugs 2). The median duration of hospitalisation of all patients was 11 days. During hospitalisation, 41 out of 119 patients died (34.5%), and the rest were transferred to the non-intensive care unit of the hospital after their medical condition improved. Patients who died were generally older (median 74 years), had multiple comorbidities (51% of patients had 3 or more comorbidities), and multiple pre-admission chronic therapies (with a median of 6 drugs); we were not able to demonstrate a significant gender-related correlation. A significant increase in dispensing of drugs in EIM was demonstrated for vitamins D and C, the heparin group, glucocorticoids, penicillins with beta-lactamase inhibitors, third-generation cephalosporins, vancomycin, fluconazole, paracetamol, etc.
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