Abstract
BackgroundMiddle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection is associated with high mortality rates but limited clinical data have been reported. We describe the clinical features and outcomes of patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection.MethodsRetrospective analysis of data from all adult (>18 years old) patients admitted to our 20-bed mixed ICU with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection between October 1, 2012 and May 31, 2014. Diagnosis was confirmed in all patients using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction on respiratory samples.ResultsDuring the observation period, 31 patients were admitted with MERS-CoV infection (mean age 59 ± 20 years, 22 [71 %] males). Cough and tachypnea were reported in all patients; 22 (77.4 %) patients had bilateral pulmonary infiltrates. Invasive mechanical ventilation was applied in 27 (87.1 %) and vasopressor therapy in 25 (80.6 %) patients during the intensive care unit stay. Twenty-three (74.2 %) patients died in the ICU. Nonsurvivors were older, had greater APACHE II and SOFA scores on admission, and were more likely to have received invasive mechanical ventilation and vasopressor therapy. After adjustment for the severity of illness and the degree of organ dysfunction, the need for vasopressors was an independent risk factor for death in the ICU (odds ratio = 18.33, 95 % confidence interval: 1.11–302.1, P = 0.04).ConclusionsMERS-CoV infection requiring admission to the ICU is associated with high morbidity and mortality. The need for vasopressor therapy is the main risk factor for death in these patients.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13054-016-1303-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection is associated with high mortality rates but limited clinical data have been reported
MERS-CoV infections have been reported from 26 countries around the world, the majority of cases have originated in Saudi Arabia, South Korea
Characteristics of the study cohort During the observation period, 70 cases with confirmed MERS-CoV infections were diagnosed in our institution [11] (Fig. 1); 21 patients were managed in the hospital ward, 18 patients were admitted to other intensive care unit (ICU) or received critical care service in the ward, and 31 patients were admitted to our ICU (12 between October 1, 2012 and December 31, 2013 and 19 between January 1 and May 31, 2014)
Summary
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection is associated with high mortality rates but limited clinical data have been reported. We describe the clinical features and outcomes of patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection. Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERSCoV) is a novel betacoronavirus that was first reported in September 2012 [1]. By January 6, 2016, a total of 1626 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including at least 586 related deaths, had been reported to the World Health Organization [2]. We performed a retrospective study to describe the clinical features and outcomes of patients admitted to our ICU with laboratory-confirmed MERS-CoV infection
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
