Dataset Information

Viral load dynamics in intubated patients with COVID-19 admitted to the intensive care unit.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Prolonged viral RNA detection in respiratory samples from patients with COVID-19 has been described, but the clinical relevance remains unclear. We studied the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 on a group and individual level in intubated ICU patients.

Methods

In a cohort of 86 patients, we analysed SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR results on nasopharyngeal and sputum samples (obtained as part of clinical care twice a week) according to time after intubation. Subsequently, we performed survival analyses.

Results

870 samples were tested by RT-PCR. Overall viral load was highest in the first week (median nasopharynx 3.5, IQR 1.5-4.3; median sputum 4.3, IQR 3.3-5.6) and decreased over time. In 20% of patients a relapsing pattern was observed. Nasopharyngeal and sputum PCR status on day 14 was not significantly associated with survival up to day 60 in this small cohort.

Conclusion

In general SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels in respiratory samples in patients with severe COVID-19 decrease after the first week after intubation, but individual SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels can show a relapsing pattern. Larger studies are needed to address the association of clearance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from respiratory samples with survival, because we observed a trend towards better survival in patients with early clearance from sputum.

SUBMITTER: Boef AGC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8061635 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:ContextCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disproportionately impacts patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), especially those with kidney failure requiring replacement therapy (KFRT). Patients with KFRT have increased risk of developing COVID-19, and though initial reports suggested that mortality of these patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting is prohibitively high, those studies suffered from significant limitations. Subject of Review: The Study of the Treatment and Outcomes in Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19 (STOP-COVID) is a multicenter cohort study that enrolled adults with COVID-19 admitted to ICUs in 68 medical centers across the USA. STOP-COVID investigators compared characteristics at the time of ICU admission and clinical outcomes in 143 patients with KFRT, 521 with nondialysis-dependent CKD (ND-CKD), and 3,600 patients without CKD. Patients with KFRT were less likely to have typical COVID-19 symptoms but more likely to have altered mental status at the time of ICU admission and were less likely to require mechanical ventilation during hospitalization than those without kidney disease. Approximately, 50% of patients with KFRT and ND-CKD died within 28 days of ICU admission, and in fully adjusted models, patients with KFRT and ND-CKD had 1.41- and 1.25-fold higher risk of 28-day mortality than those without CKD. Patients with KFRT and ND-CKD were also less likely to receive emerging therapies for COVID-19 than those without CKD. Second Opinion: This study provides important new data demonstrating differences in clinical presentation in patients with KFRT and ND-CKD with COVID-19. Alhough patients with severe CKD had higher mortality than those without CKD, approximately half survived after 28 days, demonstrating that patients with COVID-19 and severe CKD can benefit from ICU care. The markedly lower use of emerging COVID-19 treatments in patients with severe CKD highlights the need to include these patients in clinical trials of new COVID-19 therapies and for clinicians to ensure equal access to care in patients with severe CKD and COVID-19.