Serial measurements in COVID-19-induced acute respiratory disease to unravel heterogeneity of the disease course: design of the Maastricht Intensive Care COVID cohort (MaastrICCht)

There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

Abstract

Introduction

The course of the disease in SARS-CoV-2 infection in mechanically ventilated patients is unknown. To unravel the clinical heterogeneity of the SARS-CoV-2 infection in these patients, we designed the prospective observational Maastricht Intensive Care COVID cohort (MaastrICCht). We incorporated serial measurements that harbour aetiological, diagnostic and predictive information. The study aims to investigate the heterogeneity of the natural course of critically ill patients with a SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Methods and analysis

Mechanically ventilated patients admitted to the intensive care with a SARS-CoV-2 infection will be included. We will collect clinical variables, vital parameters, laboratory variables, mechanical ventilator settings, chest electrical impedance tomography, ECGs, echocardiography as well as other imaging modalities to assess heterogeneity of the course of a SARS-CoV-2 infection in critically ill patients. The MaastrICCht is also designed to foster various other studies and registries and intends to create an open-source database for investigators. Therefore, a major part of the data collection is aligned with an existing national intensive care data registry and two international COVID-19 data collection initiatives. Additionally, we create a flexible design, so that additional measures can be added during the ongoing study based on new knowledge obtained from the rapidly growing body of evidence. The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic requires the swift implementation of observational research to unravel heterogeneity of the natural course of the disease of SARS-CoV-2 infection in mechanically ventilated patients. Our study design is expected to enhance aetiological, diagnostic and prognostic understanding of the disease. This paper describes the design of the MaastrICCht.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval has been obtained from the medical ethics committee (Medisch Ethische Toetsingscommissie 2020-1565/3 00 523) of the Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (Maastricht UMC+), which will be performed based on the Declaration of Helsinki. During the pandemic, the board of directors of Maastricht UMC+ adopted a policy to inform patients and ask their consent to use the collected data and to store serum samples for COVID-19 research purposes. All study documentation will be stored securely for fifteen years after recruitment of the last patient. The results will be published in peer-reviewed academic journals, with a preference for open access journals, while particularly considering deposition of the manuscripts on a preprint server early.

Trial registration number

The Netherlands Trial Register (NL8613).

Related collections

Most cited references 41

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Clinical course and risk factors for mortality of adult inpatients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: a retrospective cohort study

Fei Zhou, Ting Yu, Ronghui Du … (2020)

Summary Background Since December, 2019, Wuhan, China, has experienced an outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with COVID-19 have been reported but risk factors for mortality and a detailed clinical course of illness, including viral shedding, have not been well described. Methods In this retrospective, multicentre cohort study, we included all adult inpatients (≥18 years old) with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 from Jinyintan Hospital and Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital (Wuhan, China) who had been discharged or had died by Jan 31, 2020. Demographic, clinical, treatment, and laboratory data, including serial samples for viral RNA detection, were extracted from electronic medical records and compared between survivors and non-survivors. We used univariable and multivariable logistic regression methods to explore the risk factors associated with in-hospital death. Findings 191 patients (135 from Jinyintan Hospital and 56 from Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital) were included in this study, of whom 137 were discharged and 54 died in hospital. 91 (48%) patients had a comorbidity, with hypertension being the most common (58 [30%] patients), followed by diabetes (36 [19%] patients) and coronary heart disease (15 [8%] patients). Multivariable regression showed increasing odds of in-hospital death associated with older age (odds ratio 1·10, 95% CI 1·03–1·17, per year increase; p=0·0043), higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (5·65, 2·61–12·23; p<0·0001), and d-dimer greater than 1 μg/mL (18·42, 2·64–128·55; p=0·0033) on admission. Median duration of viral shedding was 20·0 days (IQR 17·0–24·0) in survivors, but SARS-CoV-2 was detectable until death in non-survivors. The longest observed duration of viral shedding in survivors was 37 days. Interpretation The potential risk factors of older age, high SOFA score, and d-dimer greater than 1 μg/mL could help clinicians to identify patients with poor prognosis at an early stage. Prolonged viral shedding provides the rationale for a strategy of isolation of infected patients and optimal antiviral interventions in the future. Funding Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences; National Science Grant for Distinguished Young Scholars; National Key Research and Development Program of China; The Beijing Science and Technology Project; and Major Projects of National Science and Technology on New Drug Creation and Development.

0 comments Cited 13434 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Incidence of thrombotic complications in critically ill ICU patients with COVID-19

F.A. Klok, M.J.H.A. Kruip, N.J.M. van der Meer … (2020)

Introduction COVID-19 may predispose to both venous and arterial thromboembolism due to excessive inflammation, hypoxia, immobilisation and diffuse intravascular coagulation. Reports on the incidence of thrombotic complications are however not available. Methods We evaluated the incidence of the composite outcome of symptomatic acute pulmonary embolism (PE), deep-vein thrombosis, ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction or systemic arterial embolism in all COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU of 2 Dutch university hospitals and 1 Dutch teaching hospital. Results We studied 184 ICU patients with proven COVID-19 pneumonia of whom 23 died (13%), 22 were discharged alive (12%) and 139 (76%) were still on the ICU on April 5th 2020. All patients received at least standard doses thromboprophylaxis. The cumulative incidence of the composite outcome was 31% (95%CI 20-41), of which CTPA and/or ultrasonography confirmed VTE in 27% (95%CI 17-37%) and arterial thrombotic events in 3.7% (95%CI 0-8.2%). PE was the most frequent thrombotic complication (n = 25, 81%). Age (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.05/per year, 95%CI 1.004-1.01) and coagulopathy, defined as spontaneous prolongation of the prothrombin time > 3 s or activated partial thromboplastin time > 5 s (aHR 4.1, 95%CI 1.9-9.1), were independent predictors of thrombotic complications. Conclusion The 31% incidence of thrombotic complications in ICU patients with COVID-19 infections is remarkably high. Our findings reinforce the recommendation to strictly apply pharmacological thrombosis prophylaxis in all COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU, and are strongly suggestive of increasing the prophylaxis towards high-prophylactic doses, even in the absence of randomized evidence.

0 comments Cited 2466 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Clinical predictors of mortality due to COVID-19 based on an analysis of data of 150 patients from Wuhan, China

Qiurong Ruan, Kun Yang, Wenxia Wang … (2020)

Dear Editor, The rapid emergence of COVID-19 in Wuhan city, Hubei Province, China, has resulted in thousands of deaths [1]. Many infected patients, however, presented mild flu-like symptoms and quickly recover [2]. To effectively prioritize resources for patients with the highest risk, we identified clinical predictors of mild and severe patient outcomes. Using the database of Jin Yin-tan Hospital and Tongji Hospital, we conducted a retrospective multicenter study of 68 death cases (68/150, 45%) and 82 discharged cases (82/150, 55%) with laboratory-confirmed infection of SARS-CoV-2. Patients met the discharge criteria if they had no fever for at least 3 days, significantly improved respiratory function, and had negative SARS-CoV-2 laboratory test results twice in succession. Case data included demographics, clinical characteristics, laboratory results, treatment options and outcomes. For statistical analysis, we represented continuous measurements as means (SDs) or as medians (IQRs) which compared with Student’s t test or the Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon test. Categorical variables were expressed as numbers (%) and compared by the χ 2 test or Fisher’s exact test. The distribution of the enrolled patients’ age is shown in Fig. 1a. There was a significant difference in age between the death group and the discharge group (p < 0.001) but no difference in the sex ratio (p = 0.43). A total of 63% (43/68) of patients in the death group and 41% (34/82) in the discharge group had underlying diseases (p = 0.0069). It should be noted that patients with cardiovascular diseases have a significantly increased risk of death when they are infected with SARS-CoV-2 (p < 0.001). A total of 16% (11/68) of the patients in the death group had secondary infections, and 1% (1/82) of the patients in the discharge group had secondary infections (p = 0.0018). Laboratory results showed that there were significant differences in white blood cell counts, absolute values of lymphocytes, platelets, albumin, total bilirubin, blood urea nitrogen, blood creatinine, myoglobin, cardiac troponin, C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) between the two groups (Fig. 1b and Supplementary Table 1). Fig. 1 a Age distribution of patients with confirmed COVID-19; b key laboratory parameters for the outcomes of patients with confirmed COVID-19; c interval from onset of symptom to death of patients with confirmed COVID-19; d summary of the cause of death of 68 died patients with confirmed COVID-19 The survival times of the enrolled patients in the death group were analyzed. The distribution of survival time from disease onset to death showed two peaks, with the first one at approximately 14 days (22 cases) and the second one at approximately 22 days (17 cases) (Fig. 1c). An analysis of the cause of death was performed. Among the 68 fatal cases, 36 patients (53%) died of respiratory failure, five patients (7%) with myocardial damage died of circulatory failure, 22 patients (33%) died of both, and five remaining died of an unknown cause (Fig. 1d). Based on the analysis of the clinical data, we confirmed that some patients died of fulminant myocarditis. In this study, we first reported that the infection of SARS-CoV-2 may cause fulminant myocarditis. Given that fulminant myocarditis is characterized by a rapid progress and a severe state of illness [3], our results should alert physicians to pay attention not only to the symptoms of respiratory dysfunction but also the symptoms of cardiac injury. Further, large-scale studies and the studies on autopsy are needed to confirm our analysis. In conclusion, predictors of a fatal outcome in COVID-19 cases included age, the presence of underlying diseases, the presence of secondary infection and elevated inflammatory indicators in the blood. The results obtained from this study also suggest that COVID-19 mortality might be due to virus-activated “cytokine storm syndrome” or fulminant myocarditis. Electronic supplementary material Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material. Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 38 kb)

0 comments Cited 2380 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

All references

Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): BMJ Open

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): BMJ Open

Journal ID (hwp): bmjopen

Journal ID (publisher-id): bmjopen

Title: BMJ Open

Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group (BMA House, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JR )

ISSN (Electronic): 2044-6055

Publication date Collection: 2020

Publication date (Electronic): 29 September 2020

Volume: 10

Issue: 9

Electronic Location Identifier: e040175

Affiliations

[1 ]departmentDepartment of Intensive Care , Maastricht University Medical Center+ , Maastricht, The Netherlands

[2 ]departmentSchool for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS) , Maastricht University , Maastricht, The Netherlands

[3 ]School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University , Maastricht, The Netherlands

[4 ]departmentDepartment of Surgery , Maastricht University Medical Center+ , Maastricht, The Netherlands

[5 ]departmentDepartment of Biomedical Engineering , Maastricht University , Maastricht, The Netherlands

[6 ]departmentCardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM) , Maastricht University , Maastricht, The Netherlands

[7 ]departmentDepartment of Clinical Chemistry, Central Diagnostic Laboratory , Maastricht University Medical Center+ , Maastricht, The Netherlands

[8 ]departmentDepartment of Medical Microbiology , Maastricht University Medical Centre+ , Maastricht, The Netherlands

[9 ]departmentDepartment of Radiology , Maastricht University Medical Centre+ , Maastricht, The Netherlands

[10 ]departmentDepartment of Anesthesiology , Maastricht University Medical Center+ , Maastricht, The Netherlands

[11 ]departmentDepartment of Cardiology , Maastricht University Medical Center+ , Maastricht, The Netherlands

[12 ]departmentDepartment of Neurosurgery , Maastricht University Medical Centre+ , Maastricht, The Netherlands

[13 ]departmentDepartment of Neurology , Maastricht University Medical Centre+ , Maastricht, The Netherlands

[14 ]departmentDepartment of Biochemistry , Maastricht University Medical Center+ , Maastricht, The Netherlands

[15 ]departmentDepartment of Pulmonology , Maastricht University Medical Center+ , Maastricht, The Netherlands

[16 ]departmentDepartment of Internal Medicine , Maastricht University Medical Center+ , Maastricht, The Netherlands

[17 ]departmentDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine , Maastricht University Medical Centre+ , Maastricht, The Netherlands

[18 ]departmentDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Technology Assessment , Maastricht University Medical Center+ , Maastricht, The Netherlands

[19 ]departmentCare and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI) , Maastricht University , Maastricht, The Netherlands

Author notes

[Correspondence to ] Dr Bas C T van Bussel; bas.van.bussel@ 123456mumc.nl

Author information

Jeanette Tas http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8914-0960

Rob J J van Gassel http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0780-2052

Serge J H Heines http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7672-4177

Frank C Bennis http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6233-9101

Frank van Rosmalen http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9522-3711

Ben J M Hermans http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7780-4427

Rob G H Driessen http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8287-6166

Pieter L Kubben http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8059-523X

Zafer Geyik http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6250-3629

Walther N.K.A Van Mook http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2398-8878

Marcel J H Aries http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2155-688X

Iwan C C van der Horst http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3891-8522

Sander van Kuijk http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2796-729X

Bas C T van Bussel http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1621-7848

Article

Publisher ID: bmjopen-2020-040175

DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040175

PMC ID: 7526030

PubMed ID: 32994259

SO-VID: 4a965336-f2b8-45ed-b846-1c69f17c8ef0

License:

This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.

History

Date received : 10 May 2020

Date revision received : 30 July 2020

Date accepted : 19 August 2020

Custom metadata

special-feature unlocked

ScienceOpen disciplines: Medicine

Keywords: intensive & critical care,respiratory infections,epidemiology

Data availability:

ScienceOpen disciplines: Medicine

Keywords: intensive & critical care, respiratory infections, epidemiology

Comments

Comment on this article

scite_

Cited by 20

See all cited by

Most referenced authors 2,074

See all reference authors

Serial measurements in COVID-19-induced acute respiratory disease to unravel heterogeneity of the disease course: design of the Maastricht Intensive Care COVID cohort (MaastrICCht)

Read this article at

Abstract

Introduction

Methods and analysis

Ethics and dissemination

Trial registration number

Related collections

Novel Coronavirus Disease COVID-19

Most cited references 41

Clinical course and risk factors for mortality of adult inpatients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: a retrospective cohort study

Incidence of thrombotic complications in critically ill ICU patients with COVID-19

Clinical predictors of mortality due to COVID-19 based on an analysis of data of 150 patients from Wuhan, China

Author and article information

Journal

Affiliations

Author notes

Author information

Article

History

Categories

Custom metadata

Comments

Comment on this article

Similar content 99

Cited by 20

Most referenced authors 2,074