Article
Characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients in Munich hospitals – comparing the impact of the different COVID-19 infection waves
Search Medline for
Authors
-
Monika Schaffner
- Gesundheitsreferat der Landeshauptstadt München, Hauptabteilung Gesundheitsvorsorge, Stabsstelle Versorgungsmanagement, München, Deutschland
-
Lena Barth
- Gesundheitsreferat der Landeshauptstadt München, Hauptabteilung Gesundheitsvorsorge, Stabsstelle Versorgungsmanagement, München, Deutschland
-
Monika Brandt
- Gesundheitsreferat der Landeshauptstadt München, Hauptabteilung Gesundheitsvorsorge, Stabsstelle Versorgungsmanagement, München, Deutschland
-
Eva Rosenfeld
- Gesundheitsreferat der Landeshauptstadt München, Hauptabteilung Gesundheitsvorsorge, Stabsstelle Versorgungsmanagement, München, Deutschland
-
Christian Nagel
- Gesundheitsreferat der Landeshauptstadt München, Hauptabteilung Gesundheitsvorsorge, Stabsstelle Versorgungsmanagement, München, Deutschland
-
Susann Schmidt
- Gesundheitsreferat der Landeshauptstadt München, Hauptabteilung Gesundheitsvorsorge, Stabsstelle Versorgungsmanagement, München, Deutschland
| Published: | September 30, 2022 |
|---|
Outline
Text
Background and (inter-)national state of the art: For a structured comparison of the pandemic stages in Germany the Robert-Koch-Institute (RKI) retrospectively divided this period into five infection waves. Until now, there are only few studies comparing the characteristics and outcomes for COVID-19 patients admitted to hospitals in Germany in between the different infection waves.
Research question and aim: Our aim was to analyse hospital data with respect to characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients in Munich in the different infection waves.
Methods: Considering the BayDSG (Bavarian data protection act), we combined secondary data from 30 hospitals in Munich which were originally collected based on § 21 KHEntgG (hospital remuneration act). Our analyses included data from patients with confirmed COVID-19, discharged or transferred from hospital as well as patients who died in hospital between 01.01.2020 and 31.12.2021. We conducted descriptive analyses and estimated mortality risk with respect to the infection wave and other patient characteristics by calculating odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). The analysis is an update and extension of an analysis published in 2021.
Results: We analysed data from 15,195 patients, of which 3,210 (21.1%) were treated on ICU 1,800 (11.8%) were ventilated, and 1,686 (11.1%) died in hospital. The mean age at hospitalization was 61.4 (standard deviation (SD) 21.7) years, and 7,078 (46.6%) of the patients were female. Patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19 during the second infection wave (Jul 2020 – Dec 2020) had a 59% increased risk compared to patients admitted to hospital during the first infection wave (OR 1.59; 95% CI 1.37-1.86). However, there was no statistically significant difference of mortality risk during the third (Mar 2021 – Jun 2021) and the fourth (Jul 2021 – Dec 2021) infection wave compared to the first one. Additionally, age, admission to intensive care unit (ICU) and ventilation had a significant effect on mortality of COVID-19 patients in Munich hospitals.
Discussion: This study allows to compare characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients in Munich hospitals observed in the different coronavirus infection waves.
Practical implications: Our data suggest a difference in mortality risk between the first and the second infection waves. Nevertheless, we cannot preclude that this might partly reflect different decision regimes regarding hospitalization of COVID-19 patients over time. There is no difference in mortality between the first, third and fourth infection wave.
Appeal for practice (science/care) in one sentence: Mortality risk of hospitalized COVID-19 patients depends on age, ICU admission, ventilation but only partly on the time of infection.
