All-cause mortality of hospitalised patients with suspected COVID-19 in Sierra Leone: a prospective cohort study
Date
2023-02-05
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
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Abstract
Objectives To study the mortality of patients with
COVID-19
in Sierra Leone, to explore the factors
associated with mortality during the COVID-19
pandemic
and to highlight the complexities of treating patients with a
novel epidemic disease in a fragile health system.
Study design A prospective single-centre
cohort study.
Data were extracted from paper medical records and
transferred onto an electronic database. Specific indicators
were compared between survivors and non-survivors,
using descriptive statistics in Stata V.17.
Study setting The infectious diseases unit (IDU) at
Connaught Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone
Participants Participants were all patients admitted to the
IDU between March and July 2020.
Aims of study The primary outcome of the study was to
examine the all-cause
mortality of hospitalised patients
with suspected COVID-19
in Sierra Leone and the
secondary outcome measures were to examine factors
associated with mortality in patients positive for COVID-19.
Results 261 participants were included in the study.
Overall, 41.3% of those admitted to the IDU died,
compared with prepandemic in-hospital
mortality of
23.8%. Factors contributing to the higher mortality were
COVID-19
infection (aOR 5.61, 95% CI 1.19 to 26.30,
p=0.02) and hypertension (aOR 9.30, 95% CI 1.18 to
73.27, p=0.03)
Conclusions This study explores the multiple factors
underpinning a doubling in facility mortality rate during the
COVID-19
pandemic in Sierra Leone . It provides an insight
into the realities of providing front-line
healthcare during a
pandemic in a fragile health system.