Risk Factors for Mortality in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study in Southwestern Iran

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global health challenge with high transmission and mortality rates. Objectives: This study aimed to identify the risk factors for mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in Behbahan, Southwestern of Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, information of 800 patients with COVID-19 admitted to Shahidzadeh Hospital in Behbahan, Southwest of Iran, were investigated from March 20, 2020, to January 20, 2021. Subsequently, the demographic characteristics, clinical symptoms, vital signs, pharmacotherapy, laboratory findings, and the patients' underlying diseases were extracted from their medical records. Multivariable Cox regression with proportional hazard assumption was used to investigate the risk factors of death. Results: The present study included 800 patients with COVID-19 with a mean age of 57.51±16.83 years at the time of diagnosis. Overall, 447 (55.8%) male and 353 (44.1%) female patients were included in this study, respectively. Among the total patients, 116 (14.5%) and 684 (85.5%) cases died and recovered, respectively. Based on the multivariable Cox regression analysis, age (HR=1.04; 95% CI: 1.03-1.05; P<0.001), cardiovascular diseases (HR=2.46; 95% CI: 1.63- 3.70; P<0.001), and renal failure (HR=2.77; 95% CI: 1.43- 534; P<0.001) were found to be associated with the death hazard in patients with COVID-19. Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, the patient's age at the time of diagnosis, cardiovascular diseases, and renal failure were indicated to be the risk factors of high mortality rate in patients with COVID-19. Identification of these risk factors can be helpful in the timely intervention of patients at high risk of death for health care providers.