According to a new NHS study, a third of coronavirus patients admitted to Scotland’s intensive care units (ICU) did not recover, reports BBC.
Scottish ICU audit group
The report into 472 patients admitted up to 2 May revealed 32.9% died there, 44.1% recovered and were discharged and the rest were still in intensive care.
Men made up nearly 75% of the people in ICU with COVID-19, it also revealed. The groups with the highest number of admissions include older people and those living in areas of deprivation.
The Scottish Intensive Care Society Audit Group study looked at 472 adult ICU patients with confirmed COVID-19 infections between 1 March and 2 May.
The study’s ICU mortality rate of 32.9% for COVID-19 patients is higher than normal death rates for critical care settings.
In 2018, 18% of all Scottish patients admitted to ICU and combined units died in hospital.
Outcomes for COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care (ICU)
UK study group
A similar study of coronavirus ICU patients in the rest of the UK has found 46.8% died where their care outcome was reported.
Older people with coronavirus dominate admissions to ICU.
By 2 May, there were 25 COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population for those aged 60 to 69-years-old. By comparison, there were 3.6 admissions per 100,000 in the 16 to 49-years-old category.
ICU survival rates by age groups
The study found the average survival rate, when measured at 30 days after ICU admission, was 60% but there were big differences by age category and whether a person needed advanced respiratory support or not.
For those aged 70 years or older, the 30-day survival was 42.3% compared with 79.3% for those in the 16 to 49-year-old category.
The number of people in Scotland’s intensive care units has been decreasing in recent weeks as this graph shows.
COVID-19 patients in intensive care
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Source: BBC
